The Bonded
by Warden
Summary: Harry and Ginny are not all they seem to be and a new prophecy guides them forward. Voldemort threatens to destroy the balance of the world and salvation can only com from, 'these two bonded...' (HarryGinny, AU, Posted once again)
1. Chapter One

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Posted: August 25, 2004

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter One

A nine year old Harry pulled the last weed from his Aunt Petunia's front flowerbed. He brushed his hands clean of dirt and drudgingly rose to his feet, stretching his back which was sore from spending so much time hunched over. Dirt fell from his overly large trousers plopping to the ground in little bursts of dust.

Harry wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as he looked at the noon sun. It was just the start of August and the days were long and sweltering hot. It hadn't rained for two weeks, a strange occurrence in London, and the air was heavy and humid. Harry really hoped this heat wave would go away soon. He didn't mind too much the slave labor that the Dursley's put him through but for one sadistic reason or the other, they felt it was best for him to do all the outside chores at the hottest time of the day.

Harry smirked slightly to himself. All the years of working outside in the sun did pay off in a few ways. It had been several years since he had needed to wear sunscreen and even working outside for several hours failed to scorch his skin, leaving him with instead, a pleasant looking tan.

Packing up the gardening tools, Harry went to the back of the house and put them away in the yard shed. Trying to remember what was next on his list of things to do, he suddenly remembered that he was to start painting the fence today. He picked up the paint cans and brushes and headed for the front.

A loud bird cawed several times from across the street and it drew Harry's eyes to several children playing underneath a large apple tree. There were three boys playing what looked like hide and go seek, laughing a squealing when someone got caught and was the new 'it.' Sometimes Harry still wished that he had friends to play with like that but his Aunt and Uncle scared off all the other children and their parents by telling them that Harry was a deranged boy and could be harmful to others.

He was old enough to understand that his relatives lied about him for some reason or another but he didn't know why. They had even convinced his teachers at school that he was a rowdy boy that was not much smarter than a turnip. Truth was, Harry was very intelligent and he loved learning new things. The only person that seemed to understand was the local librarian.

Sighing as he began to brush the fresh white paint up and down the waist high fence, Harry's mind mused over the kindly man that ran their library. It had been a summer day like this a couple of years ago when Harry had come across the library. He had finished his chores but the Dursleys refused him any food so he decided to take a walk instead of sitting around in his cupboard.

He walked into the library deciding on seeing if he could borrow any of the books as they would help pass those long hours he spent locked away. He walked up to the desk and saw an old man, probably not much younger than 60, sitting at the front desk repairing a copy of _Moby Dick_. Harry stood in front of him for a moment before speaking up, "Excuse me, Sir?"

The old man looked up from his task and smiled kindly at Harry, "What can I do for you, Lad?"

"Well, Sir," Harry replied. "I was wondering if I could borrow some books?"

The old man laughed, it wasn't a mocking laugh but a warm laugh that Harry found soothing. The old man's eyes twinkled as he looked at Harry, "Well this is a library, isn't it? Do you have a card?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well then let's see if we can get you settled here. Let me see…" The old man's head disappeared behind the desk and Harry heard him rummaging around some papers looking for something. A moment later, the old man's head popped back up and he said, "Here we are."

Harry looked at the piece of paper the man set on the desk. It was a form for a new library card. "I can get my own card, Sir?" Harry asked surprised.

"Of course you can, Lad," the librarian replied. "We just need some of your information and we'll have you set in no time at all. Okay now…name?"

"Harry Potter," Harry said promptly.

The old man's eyebrow rose up a bit, "Harry Potter you say?" Harry could have sworn he saw the old man's eyes flicker to his forehead. "Well isn't that interesting?"

"What is interesting, Sir?"

"Oh nothing of import, let's continue hmm? Birth date?"

"July 31, 1980." The old man continued to ask him a few more questions about his address and such and soon Harry was the proud owner of his very own library card. This was the first thing he had ever owned by himself that wasn't a cast away from Dudley. It even had his signature on it written in his small print.

"Now remember, Lad, you can check out any of these books but you have to bring them back before the due date otherwise you get charged a fine. If you need more time just bring it back and we can renew it for you so you don't get charged okay?" The old man made sure Harry understood before going on. "How about I give a quick tour and the like so you can get yourself acquainted with where everything is?"

And from then on a friendship formed between the old Librarian and the young Harry Potter. Harry would check out some books and read them and when he came back to return them, he and the old man would discuss some of the points in the book or parts that they liked. Often the old man would have another book ready for Harry to read when he arrived. These books were strange though. In fact, the one he had checked out right now was called _ Achievements in Charming._ It read almost like a textbook but the information was obviously fictional. Who had ever heard of something as ridiculous as a spell called, _Wingardium Leviosa?_

Harry looked at the cracked face of Dudley's old watch and saw that it was almost time for him to cook dinner. He sealed up the can of paint and washed the paintbrush clean with the garden hose before heading to his cupboard to change from his dirty yard clothes. Changing quickly, Harry rushed into the kitchen and started on dinner. Looking through the contents of the fridge, Harry noticed that he would have to ask his Aunt Petunia to go shopping for him again; they were running low on a few items.

He pulled out some chicken breasts and vegetables, deciding that they would have to do for tonight with what little he had to work with. He placed a pan on the stove to heat up before he set about cleaning the vegetables.

About halfway into dinner, Harry heard his cousin trample down the stairs and head into the dining room. "Where's the food?' he shouted.

"Hold on Dudley," Harry said back. "I'm almost done. It will be about another five minutes."

"I want to eat now!" Dudley cried out, beating his pudgy hands on the table causing the plates and silverware to rattle. Harry just pulled the food off the stove when his Uncle barged into the dining room.

"What's making all this racket?" he bellowed.

"Harry's refusing to feed us Dad. He's in there eating it all by himself." Dudley said almost joyfully. Harry winced, he knew what was coming next and he had no more chance of avoiding it than avoiding the apocalypse.

"What?" his Uncle raged. "Why that ungrateful…Boy come here."

Harry dropped his shoulders and resigned himself to his fate. "Yes Uncle?" he asked as he walked into the dining room.

"What's this I hear about you hogging all the food to yourself?" Vernon's face was turning a fine shade of purple and he began to clinch and unclench his fists repeatedly.

"It's not true Uncle I-"

"Lair!" and Harry's Uncle backhanded him across the face sending Harry crashing into the wall, his glasses knocked askew and blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Harry groaned and struggled to clear his vision of the blackness that was threatening to overtake him. It had been a while since the last time his uncle had hit him and Harry was unprepared for it.

"Get out of my house you worthless brat!" Vernon shouted. "No dinner for you tonight and I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry nodded painfully, "Perfectly." He trudged out of the dining room and into his cupboard, falling down to rest on his cot. It took a moment before he realized that there was a sharp object pointing into his back. He reached around behind him and pulled the offending object out. It was _Achievements in Charming_. "Crap," Harry muttered. Today was the due date for the book and he didn't have any money to pay for the fines. He would have to return the book now. Harry pulled on some sneakers and peaked out of his cupboard. He could hear his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin eating in the dining room. Now was his chance. Creeping slowly out of the cupboard Harry made his way out the front door.

Once outside, Harry made a beeline for the library, hoping he would make it on time. The sky was still bright outside but it wasn't near as hot as it had been earlier. He made it to the library with half an hour to spare. Huffing from his lack of breath, Harry made his way up to the front counter.

"Lad!" someone called out behind him. "I didn't think you were going to make it today. How are you, Lad?"

Harry turned around with a smile on his face and greeted the old Librarian, "I'm doing fine, Sir. Yourself?"

"Oh these old bones still have life in them yet. How'd you like that book I gave you…did you find it interesting? What did you think of…?" The old man trailed off as he got a good look at Harry's face. Harry cursed his carelessness. In his haste to return the book he had forgotten about the damage to his face. "Goodness," the old man said. "What happened to you, Lad?"

"It's nothing, Sir. I just tripped on the stairs this morning, that's all." Harry fidgeted under the old man's gaze hoping that he bought the excuse.

"Come with me, Harry," Harry looked up in surprise. To his knowledge this was the first time that the old man had ever called him by his name. The old man led him into a back room of the library that was full of many other books that Harry had never seen on the bookshelves. There were books such as _Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts. _One book called _The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why Muggles Prefer Not to Know _seemed to catch his eye. He had heard the word Muggle before but was not sure from where.

The old Librarian sat down in a chair and motioned for Harry to do the same. "Now Harry," he began. "We've been friends for a long time now. I've never pressed you for information before and I'm not about to start now, Lad. But I know the marks of a fist and I know you didn't trip."

Harry looked down at his feet. He didn't want his friend to look down on him just because he couldn't defend himself from his Uncle or his cousin and his friends. Most of the time he could run from them but many times he ended up as the local punching back and the bruises would stay for weeks.

"Lad," the Librarian said. "How would you like to learn to defend yourself?"

Harry looked up with hope in his eyes. He was tired of getting hit, tired of being in pain and now his friend was offering him a chance to stop it. "Do you mean it? Would you teach me how to protect myself?"

"Yes, Lad." The old man nodded and smiled at the look of eagerness in Harry's eyes. "I warn you though, it's going to be hard work and it will take some time but it will be worth it and you'll be a better person because of it. Are you willing to work hard?"

Harry didn't even hesitate, "Yes."

"Okay then, Lad, your training begins tomorrow."

* * *

Six months later…

"Again!" the old man shouted.

Harry grumbled as he preformed the exercise again. The old Librarian was as much of a slave driver as the Dursleys but he acted like that for a purpose. It had been six months since he had started training under the old man and he had learned quite a bit. Harry had practiced diligently and worked extremely hard to get to this level of combat. The Librarian had said that he was positive that Harry could hold his own with some of his future students now.

The exercise he had Harry working on right now was fighting with swords. Earlier that week, Harry had been introduced to several types of eastern and western swords. After careful deliberation, Harry decided on learning how to wield a tai-chi style blade. The blade itself was about three long with the handle being about eight inches long. It was a light one-handed weapon that was perfect for lightning fast strikes and allowed a fighter to combine martial arts with sword fighting.

It was however, difficult to the meld the two and Harry was having some trouble mastering the techniques that the old man had shown him. A fact that was painfully present by the number of bruises that Harry now sported. He felt a rap on his head and saw the Librarian standing near him holding his staff like a sword.

"Keep your mind in the present, Lad. If it was to go a wandering during a fight, the consequences could turn out bad indeed. Now, do it again."

Harry sighed and started the exercise one more time.

* * *

Another six months pass by…

Harry cautiously padded into the back room of the library. As always it appeared empty. He carefully inspected the known niches large enough to conceal a crouching adult, repeated experience allowing him to quickly identify the known trouble spots. Despite this, the only warning he had of the attack was the whisper of air as a weighted garrote snaked from above seeking to encircle his neck in a choking grip. Harry's natural lightning reflexes were all that saved him from being strung up, but even so the silken cord closed dangerously close.

Jumping across the room in a leap that was at least logically too large for someone to accomplish, the young child landed lightly on his toes, and spun into a defensive crouch, hands at the ready to defend from a possible critical strike. He stared with unnatural intensity as the attacker revealed herself. Wait a moment; the old man isn't a she. Harry's eyes widened in realization of the trick, but his reactions were too late as a pair of fingers jabbed forcefully from behind and struck at the joint in his shoulder - a numbing but not particularly dangerous strike.

However, for the purposes of the training, it was clear that he had already lost. His attacker could just have easily put a knife in his back, as would have been the case in a 'real' fight. Harry dropped his head in defeat. The battle had lasted all of 3 seconds. Wincing at his error, he was unsurprised when a voice from behind almost casually commented, "As I recall, Lad, you learned yesterday to always be cautious of a dual headed attack. The way you responded to Jill's advance there was just crying out for me to attack from your blindside, yes?" Smiling inwardly at Harry's self-berating expression, the old man turned to his accomplice. "Thank you for your time Jill that will be all."

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Ten months later…

Training had definitely been raised a notch by the old man, the last few weeks. The techniques and forms that Harry had started training in were grueling exercises pushing his mind and body to the limits. And just when he though he couldn't go any farther, the old man would somehow find the right button to push to make him go that extra inch.

"Know thy limits and strive to go further," Was something Harry had read in one of his books. He looked at his hand, opening and closing his fist. _My limits... How far can I go?_ He wondered as he felt the constant pulsing of the energy that lay dormant inside of him.

A fair time ago, the Librarian had started training Harry in manipulating his body's energies. "Magic, chi, life-force, whatever you want to call it Harry it's all just a form of the body's inner power. With proper training, one can gain control of these powers and do many things with them."

"Like what, Sir?" Harry asked the curiosity of a ten year old written all over his face.

The old man smirked at the young boy, "Remember some of the more ah…esoteric books I had you read?" Harry nodded. "Remember _ Wingardium Leviosa?_"

Harry looked at the old man in shock. That stuff couldn't be real could it? Harry pondered that for a moment, but if it was…oh the things that could be done. Lives could be saved and damages undone. Harry frowned as he remembered some of the other spells and charms he had read about. Lives could also be taken, and damage made.

Harry had started taking to calling the internal energy his magic. Most of the textbooks he had read had continuously said that some of the various charms, hexes, and spells could only be done by people with strong magical energies. Harry had attempted some of these and succeeded so he supposed that he could be considered a magical person.

Now, Harry was much more skilled with energy manipulation than before. He could forge a sword from a lump of metal without touching it, make the earth open up under someone and swallow them, and any number of other things. Even float in mid-air. The old man insisted that it would go no further than that, but he was determined to learn to fly. But control of water eluded him, his skill being only rudimentary. The Librarian had told Harry when he began the training that if he learned to control the waters well enough that he would be able to heal people of minor wounds and Harry wanted to be able to do that very much indeed.

Harry shook his mind of these thoughts and focused on his practice. It was the start of the summer and school had just finished the week before. In two more months, Harry would be eleven years old and Dudley would be going to Smeltings for school. Harry didn't yet know where he would be attending school but he was certain that it wouldn't be Smeltings or any other prestigious school like it.

"Boy!" Harry was startled from his jumping snap kick by his Uncle's rumbling voice. He put his foot down and turned towards the house to see his Uncle looking at him, anger clearly written all over his face.

_What did I do this time?_ Harry wondered. As far as he could remember, he had finished doing all the chores for the day, including weeding both gardens. What ever could his Uncle be angry about?

"Boy," his Uncle repeated. "Miss. Fig is visiting her relatives today and we need to go into London. I am not about to leave you in this house alone." Vernon seemed to struggle to get the next words out. "Go change, you're coming with us." With that, Uncle Vernon turned on his heel and walked back into the house, grumbling under his breath the whole time.

Harry's heart leapt. It wasn't often he got to go anywhere outside of Surrey. Even if he didn't have the money to buy anything it would still be fun to look around. He dashed to his cupboard and changed into some of the nicer hand me downs that he had. Bursting out of the cupboard he headed for the front room and waited until the rest of the family was ready.

The trip into London was uneventful and Harry was glad to get out of the backseat when they arrived. Driving with Dudley sitting next to you was never pleasant. They walked down the streets and shopped at some of the stores. Dudley saw a toy store and refused to go anywhere until his parents had bought him a new toy. Harry was looking at a display of comics when it happened.

As he stood there, two men appeared out of no where and started towards Harry. They were dressed rather strangely. Both wore robes of the deepest black with the hood up and had white skull like masks that covered their faces. As they walked towards Harry, they pulled out two sticks and pointed them directly at his heart. From some reason Harry know that these sticks where dangerous and he decided to take the two men down…hard.

"Just come with us, Boy," said one of the men. "And you won't be hurt."

Harry stood still for only a moment before leaping into action. He jumped up with a roundhouse kick and took out the man on the right. Rolling into a tuck he dodged the blast of energy that came from the other man before creating a rope of air behind the man's feet and tripping him with it.

The man fell violently while Harry landed safely on his feet. Turning to the recently downed man he jammed his first and middle finger into the side of the man's neck knocking him unconscious. The first man hadn't yet awoken from Harry's initial attack and was still sprawled on the ground. Harry began to search them for any type of identification but the only thing they had were those two long sticks. Harry pocketed both of them for study later.

People who had been shopping in the store came to see what the entire ruckus was about. The store manager followed and began to question Harry about what had happened. Harry answered as best as he could and told the man all he knew. He left out the parts about the man shooting energy at him and the rope of air he had created. The manager would not believe anything like that.

It had been lucky for Harry that the Dursleys had not found anything out about that encounter as it would have certainly resulted in a harsh punishment for him. As it was, it seemed that the Dursleys thought that it had been some rowdy teenager making a ruckus and causing general havoc. Harry didn't feel the need to enlighten them about the truth. Still Harry had enjoyed his trip into London and hoped that next time there wouldn't be anybody there to interrupt it.

Later on that night, Harry walked to the library for his training session. Standing in the back room Harry took out the two devices that the men had used and studied them. They were made of wood and fairly light. Harry supposed they were hollow. There was no trigger of any sort so the firing of energy must have come from some vocal command. What Harry didn't understand was the energy these two things were giving off. They were of separate signatures but there was a definite similarity between their energy and the same type he used.

Suddenly it hit Harry. These were wands! He had read about them in some of his books but since he had never needed one he just totally ignored them. But if wands were real than that meant someone had to produce them, and if someone was making them then people were buying them. There was probably a whole lot more of those black robed people out there.

Harry felt a tap on his shoulder that made him jump. "What you got there, Lad?"

Damn, the old man had snuck up on him again. Harry really needed to figure out how the guy did that. It couldn't really hurt to show him the things; it wasn't like they were going to blow up or anything. Harry held the two pieces of wood out for the Librarian to see and was rewarded with a look of such utter astonishment on the man's face that it would have been comical if Harry wasn't so worried about what could actually surprise the librarian so much. He'd barely raised an eyebrow when Harry had told him about the time he had transported himself to the school roof somehow.

"Where did you get those?" he demanded in a fierce whisper.

"Two men attacked me today and they shot some weird type of energy at me with them. I had to put them down. When I searched them for identification this was all they had." Harry replied.

"What were they wearing?" the old man looked really angry now.

"They had on deep black robes and some sort of skull white mask." Harry answered cautiously. The old man was extremely angry and it was starting to frighten him a little. What was so dangerous about some wands? Harry managed to take those two down easily enough. "Why? What's so important about what they were wearing?"

But the Librarian wouldn't answer. He simply stared at the wands muttering to himself about things like, "…the proper course of action…" or, "…beat Dumbledore to a senseless pulp…"

Harry didn't know who this Dumbledore person was but he was glad that he hadn't attracted the old man's anger over this. When he was training the old man caused enough damage as it was. He would hate to see what would happen to someone that the Librarian was fighting for real. As amusing as it was to watch his mentor sit there and babble on like a brain sick fool, Harry lost his patience and asked, "What are you going on about?"

This seemed to snap the Librarian out of his daze. He looked up and said, "Follow me, Harry."

Harry followed the old man upstairs by way of an old rickety staircase that was hidden in a dark corner of the back room. At the top there was an old wooden door covered in strange symbols, some of them looked like ones he had read in those books. The old man placed his palm on a small panel to the side of the door and it opened silently, revealing a room that was easily the size of the entire library.

Harry's eyes widened, "H-How?" This was impossible…well not quite impossible but pretty close to it.

"I'll explain it all to you later, Lad," the old man waved off the question and hurried inside the room. He led Harry down a haphazard path, between stacks of books; tables piled high with unusual devices, and around roped off areas where cauldrons full of foul smelling substances bubbled. The old man stopped in one corner of the room and pulled out a sock. It looked like it hadn't been washed in several years. "Grab a hold of that Lad and we'll be off then."

Harry looked at the sock with unhidden disgust but did as he was told and took up one end of the foul-smelling cloth. "Are you going to explain everything to me now?" Harry asked exasperatedly. He trusted the old man but he didn't like being led around by the nose.

"Just be patient, Lad." He waved a hand over the sock muttering "_Portus"_ under his breath."By the way Harry," the old man said suddenly. "My name is Dazna, Dazna Sylvan." Harry felt the Librarian channel some energy into the sock and both Harry and the old man popped out of existence in England.

* * *

As Harry saw the room around materialize, he immediately discovered the source to the 'wrongness' he had been feeling around Dazna. He looked to where the old man should be and was confronted by a well built man in his late twenties with dirty-blonde hair and deep black eyes. Standing around Harry were another half dozen men and women in a half circle, their weapons trained on him. The sock dropped to the ground, forgotten. Unaware of how he had gotten there or what was going on, Harry brought up some rudimentary defenses. Harry dropped into a low defensive combat stance and prepared to ward off any physical blows. With a quick thought, he brought up a thin web of energy around him and spun the cords around the room.

In a matter of seconds Harry was fed information through his magic that listed where everyone was and how much power they had at their command. He gulped quietly to himself as he realized the combined power of the people in this room could do away with him rather easily. Eyes darting around, Harry quickly took stock of the situation near him.

The room that they had appeared in was close enough in size to the one they had left so that Harry couldn't see a difference. It was surprisingly bare though. There were no boiling cauldrons or stacks of books but many paintings lined the wall, interspaced among the room. Young looking Dazna, as Harry decided to dub him, was looking at Harry with a little amusement in his eyes and fighting to keep a grin off of his face. He was the only one though. The rest all looked grimly prepared for battle and had their eyes centered on Harry.

"What is going on?" Harry shouted as he saw all the soldiers. He abandoned his earlier defenses and brought his magic power to bear. He let lose with a pure white aura that flowed around him like fire, turning to mist along its blurred edges. He held it in check remembering some of his lessons with the old man. _If you can outsmart your opponents into underestimating you Harry, than do so. Especially when you are in tight situations._ Harry didn't show his full power level and hoped that he could keep from doing so before this was all over.

"Calm down, Lad," the man said after Harry settled himself down. "It's me Dazna."

"Old ma –, Dazna, you have about ten seconds to explain things before I start hurting people." Much to Harry's vexation the other people in the room began to laugh. This only served to push Harry all the further. He knew that this was a fight he could not win but if it was to be his last then he would take down as many of them as he could before falling. "You think this is a joke?" he demanded. Harry brought his hands together and cupped his arms and focused his magical energies. The white aura around him began to drain into a ball the size of a basketball in front of his cupped hands but it rapidly decreased in size even as more energy was poured into it. When he was done, it had attained the size of a small coin. Energy crackled around it and it was almost blinding to look it. The light from the ball lit up the entire area in an iridescent glow. They shut up.

"This is the place where we will continue the rest of your training," Dazna said softly, trying to sooth Harry. "Those men attacking you today showed that you are no longer safe on your own until you learn the rest of what I have to teach you. Others will help supplement your training as well."

"Why the charade of an old man, then?" Harry demanded. "Where are we? Who are all these people? You had better start answering my questions right now!"

One of the soldiers to Harry's near right had enough. "Show some respect, boy!" he shouted. Leveling his plain wooden staff at Harry and several bolts of lightning erupted from its end.

Harry was moving in an instant. He dispelled the ball of energy in his hand and ducked under the bolt. There hadn't been enough energy in the lightning to actually harm Harry but he didn't take any chances. He quickly dived forward into a roll and kicked the legs out from the other man who fell to the ground in an undignified heap. Glowing with energy, Harry shot off a smaller sphere of energy at the man's head knocking him instantly unconscious. In the blink of an eye Harry was on his feet looking warily at the others.

"For the Goddess' sake people!" Dazna yelled. "Hold your fire! You are here to be the guard, not to give judgment." His eye's swept the room, locking gazes with each guard to make sure they would know their place before turning back to Harry. "Sorry about that, Lad. I probably should have warned you about this but I was a bit frazzled by what you had shown me."

"I trusted you, Dazna," Harry said cautiously. "I thought we were friends."

"Indeed we are. If you still trust me, please come here and I'll explain what I can."

Harry dropped out of his combat stance but he kept a small defensive field of energy up as he walked towards the old, now young, man before him. The rest of the guards formed up in two straight files on either side of Harry and Dazna looking very formidable. Harry was glad that he didn't end up fighting them "Where are we?"

Dazna started walking towards the only visible exit in the room. Pushing open the two oaken doors they stepped into a dimly lit hallway that was sheathed with white marble. Harry walked along Dazna's side and viewed the various paintings as he walked by. There were some portraits but most were scenic paintings of a marble city that was situated on a small island. One particular painting showed a magnificent tower rising into the heavens in the middle of the marble city and the tower seemed almost aglow with energy.

"We are currently several hundred miles northeast of Japan in the Pacific Ocean. This city, Phoenix Isle, sits on an island that is about the size of Crete. Mind you, we have many charms preventing just anyone coming here so it's quite secret," Dazna said evenly. He waved towards the portrait that Harry was looking at. "That is Phoenix Isle as it once looked. Long ago when magic was well known throughout the world and mages were strong in number. The tower you see there was destroyed in a war many, many years ago." He walked forward a few more feet to the portrait of a severe looking man in a straight cut black uniform. "It was at that time that we hid Phoenix Isle from the rest of the world. We had not won the war but we had not lost either, there were still many mages alive. Fredrick McGrooger here managed to perform a very advanced bit of magic with the aid of fifty other mages to hide our Island. Since then, we have rebuilt the Island…not to the splendor that it once was mind you. It had been one of the causes of that war; we flaunted our riches and in our arrogance believed that we were right for doing so. Now, though we have more money than we could spend in many, many lifetimes, we live in a fairly humble existence. This building was the only one left standing after that war and we us it as our council hall and a remembrance to what our arrogance once cost us….What's your next question?"

Harry didn't know who was crazier; Dazna for expecting him to believe the story or himself for actually believing it. "How old are you? I recognized you by your energy but you look so different now."

Dazna smiled at Harry for no reason that he could fathom. "Oh, I'm about two hundred and twenty-three." No that had surprised Harry. Unless he was mistaken, there was no longer an illusion around Dazna. But he looked no older than forty…how could someone be so old yet still young without the aid of an illusion?

Unable to process that information, Harry moved onto his next question. "What are we doing here?"

Dazna paused in their walk. It was a few moments before any answer was forthcoming. "Harry," he said gently, a hint of the old man in his voice once again. "For the last two years I have been teaching you how to defend yourself and fight martial combat. I have also been teaching you magic." He stopped Harry's question. "Yes, I know that I told you that all energy was the same and that is true. What I left out was that not everybody can actively utilize this energy the way we do. We are here to formally recognize you as one of the people that can use energy such. Also, I will need to meet with my counterparts to see about these…men that attacked you today."

The group reached a room with two huge doors at one end. They were made of glass, about ten feet tall and each one five feet wide, supported by a silver looking metal that ran around the edges in delicately wrought patterns. Two of the honor guard broke forward and placed themselves at the handle of each of the doors. The rest lined themselves up in two columns on either side of the door and Dazna stopped walking just in front of the doors.

Turning towards Harry, Dazna became suddenly serious. "Now Harry," he said. "You are about to go through a ceremony to be inducted into our group. They may ask you some questions and if they do, answer them truthfully and concisely. Don't be afraid to say, 'I don't know.' Nobody will think any less of you for that. Are you ready?"

Harry drew in a deep breath and nodded. He didn't know what was really going on or what was going to happen but he would meet it when it came and not before. Dazna gave a curt nod to the guards at the door and they pulled open the massive things. Striding purposefully into the room with Harry right behind, Dazna gave no indication that he had even noticed the other people in the room. Harry had though, and was taking a close look at everything around him.

They had stepped into a large circular room that had benches surrounding the center on the northern hemisphere. The roof was a large glass dome and the sun shined brightly into the room giving it a warm feeling. In the center, there was a pedestal with a large oak table perched on top of it. The plush benches were full of various people whom, from the look of them, had come from all around the globe. As Harry surveyed the people around the benches, his eyes quickly caught on a young red-headed woman in the front row. Most of the people around the room appeared to be Dazna's age; or at least looked like a rough comparison of Dazna's visual age not the supposed centuries that he claimed to be. But this girl was young, close to his age if a bit younger. She had copper read hair with light highlights that cascaded off her head and over her shoulder to the middle of her back. Her skin was fair, though not overly so and a light dusting of freckles could be seen on her cheeks. His emerald green eyes studied her warm brown ones for a moment and he returned the soft smile that she gave him with one of his own. Harry was not an expert in such manners, but to his eyes the girl was quite beautiful, despite her young age.

Returning his attention to the matter at hand with a small mental note to seek out the girl once this was all done, Harry looked towards the center of the room and the large oak table. Around the table there were eight people sitting in high backed chairs with a ninth chair at one end that was empty. That was quickly remedied as Dazna quickly jumped into the empty seat. The man in the middle looked the most aged out of everyone here and basing his estimation off of what Dazna told him, this man had to be very old indeed. Most of the people sitting at the table also looked older than the rest, though not to the same degree as the man in the middle. The lone exceptions were Dazna and the woman sitting next to him. She had red hair like the girl he had spotted before but it was of a brighter shade. She leaned over to Dazna and whispered something in his ear. It must have been a question of some sort because Dazna nodded in reply and gave her a warm smile. The whisper of conversation that ran across the room died down as all eyes turned towards Harry and the nine that sat before him.

The eldest looking of the group before him stood up and cleared his throat. He spoke out in a voice that was deep and rich, "Ladies and Gentleman, today we have the honor of inducting a new member to our order. It has been a year and a half since the last and I am sure that we all find this a welcome opportunity to reunite and accept this new member. I am sure that everyone here is eager for the ceremony but first I think some introductions are in order." He turned towards Harry and spoke, still in that deep voice. "We have before us, Harry Potter, a name that I am sure many of you recognize. Elder Dazna has trained Harry for the last two years real-time and is confident in Harry's abilities. Ladies and Gentlemen, Harry Potter!" A loud cheer went up from the crowd and Harry couldn't help but blush slightly at all the attention. There couldn't have been more than four hundred people in that room but they all had a set of lungs to back them up.

"Harry," the man was speaking to him now. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Head Elder Kyle, leader of this council. To my right," He gestured with his hand, "are Elders: Davis, Jasmine, Edwards, and Somah. To my left are Elders: Samantha, Ali' Biha, Cynthia, and as you know, Dazna. Together we make up the Council of Mages more often than not referred to as just the 'Council' or more in jest, 'The Nine.'" There were light snickers around the hall at that.

Harry took in each council member in turn, studying the red-headed woman a bit longer than most. Comparing their facial features, Harry decided that she must be related to the girl in the front. There were just too many similarities to ignore. Maybe they were mother and daughter. It was a moment yet, before he gave his attention back to Elder Kyle. "Now that we have all been properly acquainted with, let us commence the ceremony." The council stood up and the chairs and table vanished. A wave of his hand, and Kyle caused the platform the stood on to lower to ground level. Standing around Harry in a circle, The Nine joined hands and started chanting a low, lethargic canto. Harry felt the energy build around him and marveled at the power that this council wielded together.

As the chanting continued, a glowing, silver design began to weave itself in the cold marble floor. Lines ran crossing in intricate patterns all focusing on Harry in the middle. He thought they were quite beautiful and wondered at their meaning. Finally, after about five minutes, all the lines meet in the exact spot that Harry stood and the power washed trough him like a tsunami. It cleansed him, filled him, and smothered him in every aspect. He felt love and hate, he felt happy and sad, he felt everything and he felt nothing. And it was wonderful.

The chanting stopped yet Harry didn't notice. He was aglow with energy, his arms thrown out and his head tilted back as if he was basking in the very nature of it. All too soon for his liking though, the energy left leaving him feeling better than he ever had before. Harry opened his eyes and looked around the room. The people on the benches were cheering madly and… 'The Nine' gave him warm smiles. Looking down, Harry saw that his shirt had ripped and there was now a silver and black phoenix etched across his chest.

Beginning at the lower left-hand side of his abdomen, the plumed length lay on the flesh of his body in exquisite detail. The tail feathers curled slightly inwards towards his navel, and then the phoenix arched along the edge of his ribcage and passed along slightly to the right of his sternum before the head finished an inch short of his collarbone, beak clamped closed, silver feathers flowing down between the widespread, majestic wings.

He tentatively touched the fierce looking animal as if it might jump off and bite him. The color darkened slightly as he pressed on it but lightened again when he removed the pressure. It seemed as if the color of his skin had merely changed and produced this exquisite design. All things considered, Harry rather liked it. Even as he moved his body to take in the design it moved across his skin like a living object.

Elder Davis chuckled a bit at the look on Harry's face. "It does that for all of us," he explained. He rolled back his sleeve to show a fierce tiger almost prowling across his forearm as he flexed the muscles there. "It is not a tattoo in a literal sense but the physical manifestation of the connection between your body and its energy. It takes on the design of the animal we associate most with, in your case…a phoenix."

"A comforting omen if I ever saw one," Elder Somah broke in. "We are fortunate to now have two such people in our midst that carry the namesake of our Isle." Harry was about to ask who else had the Phoenix tattoo but Dazna interrupted him.

"Try a little bit of energy manipulation, Lad. I think you might be surprised at the results." Harry nodded and tried to see if the design would react to his magic. He quickly summoned his internal energy to him.

And the first wave hit him like a giant's fist.

He staggered back and nearly dropped to his knees, the force of it exploding through his very being, searing edges of pain that carved out blazing paths through neurons and senses that made his heart beat and his blood burn. The phoenix writhed upon his body, twisting like a pennant in a strong breeze, feathers flashing in the light.

He opened his mouth and screamed silently. He felt as if his eyes were going to burn themselves out of his head and his skin scorch itself beyond recognition. In the areas of his mind that did not scream out in pain he recognized this and realized it for what it was. It was his power. And it was killing him.

Suddenly, Dazna was by his side chanting under his breath and the pain left him. Harry blinked many times to clear his eyes of spots and croaked out in a hoarse voice. "What happened?"

A woman to his left with bright red hair answered him, in his have he recognized her as Cynthia, one of the ones on the council. "You almost burned yourself out young man. The ritual you went through brings your body, mind, and energy into harmony with one another. The tattoo acts as a focus for your entire body and allows you to concentrate your energies and access their full extent." The woman let out a small sigh, "Normally this isn't a problem as with training you get used to the higher energy levels but in your case, the levels are just too high." She shook her head softly. "Never before would I have imagined that so much power could exist in one so young. You will live an interesting life, young one."

Harry struggled to sort through what he had been told but his head was still pounding and his skin tingled all over. Dazna helped him stand and handed him a vial full of a bright blue liquid. "Here, Lad," he said. "Drink this up and you feel better." Harry gulped the blue stuff down and felt coolness rush through him and he immediately felt better. After about a minute he felt as good as new and was able to stand and walk on his own.

He heard a collective sigh of relief rush through the crowd and suddenly noticed that the benches were now empty and everybody had gathered around him, many were sporting worried looks. He blushed at the attention was getting and looked down at his feet. He felt Dazna give him a friendly squeeze of the shoulder before the crowd quieted again.

"He has gone through the ritual and has been recognized by the council. I give you your new peer and mage, Harry Potter!" Dazna roared out in a commanding voice and the crowd broke into applause once more, dieing down after a minute or so. "Would someone please escort Harry to the armory, the council must continue its meeting at this time."

From the streams of people leaving through various exits the girl Harry noticed before wearing what he now recognized as an emerald green robe, broke away. She took Harry's arm and began leading him towards an unopened doorway. The girl seemed friendly enough and Harry felt more than anything else that this girl could be a good friend. She spoke in a soft, lifting voice, "Hi, I'm Ginny."

"I guess you already know my name," Harry said.

She laughed. It sounded like tinkling bells. "Everybody knows your name. You're the first to be inducted in a year and a half when I was inducted. Before that it was two years before someone new was initiated. Every time someone new is found we send a teacher to them and they make various reports so we get to know them before we ever actually meet."

Harry asked, "So does that mean Dazna was sent as my teacher?"

"Yes," Ginny replied. "It caused quite a stir too. Not just anybody gets trained by an Elder on the council."

"But isn't your mother on the council? You two look almost identical."

Ginny shook her head causing her soft locks of copper red hair to bounce around her face. "That's my Grandmother and she's much too busy to train me right now."

"Then what about your mother?" Harry was perplexed. There had not been that many people in the council room and he wondered where everyone was. According to Ginny the ceremony seemed like something that nobody wanted to miss.

Ginny's face scrunched up cutely, "She's not one of us. I mean it's not like it follows the blood line anyway and there aren't too many of us in the first place. There never has been."

What do you mean us?" Harry frowned.

Ginny looked at Harry with genuine surprise, "Why mages of course. Didn't you know that?"

"No, I had never even heard the term before Dazna said it in the council hall."

"Oh then," Ginny paused, looking deep in thought before she continued on. "There are four types of people in this world, the muggles, wizards, sorcerers, and mages. Each group tends to access energy in different ways and use different methods to achieve the same thing. Well…except for muggles of course, they have no access to energy so they can't do the same things you and I can. Your aunt and uncle are muggles."

"Okay," Harry nodded in understanding. Not even bothering to ask about how she knew his relatives…it seemed Dazna had been thorough in his reports. "What about the other three?"

"Well we can all use energy, just different types of it." As she was explaining, Harry noticed that Ginny continually made gestures with her hands as if it would help explain things to him. He thought it was rather cute. "Sorcerers use the energy and magic around them to there purpose. The energy in the air, in the earth, just about anywhere. None of the magical energies are actually regulated by anything other than their will so a sorcerer is capable of producing and channeling immense amounts of energies. Now, we mages go about it in a different way. We use our own internal energies to do what we want. Everything is regulated and controlled through our own bodies and it is up to us to increase the amount of energy and power we can control. Do you follow?"

"So we are limited by how much energy we have exercised our bodies to produce and use, right?" Dazna had spoken of things like this but not in as much detail. Usually it was just in a passing sentence or two.

Ginny nodded happily, "Exactly! Now wizards compose the bulk of energy users in the world, there are only about 500 mages around the world right now and the sorcerers have several thousands, enough to form several different communities. There are many more witches and wizards than that I'm not sure about there exact numbers though. Their use of energy is like a combination between a mage and a sorcerer in that they use both internal and external energy.

"But regardless of how we all use our energy we can perform most of the same basic feats. For instance, say we wanted to make a lightning storm around us. A sorcerer would call upon the sky and ask for the storm, a mage would ionize her body and the area around her to attract the lightning, and a wizard would simply conjure lightning around them."

Harry took in all this information and sorted through it in his mind. It all made a strange sort of sense and from what he had read; he could tell that she was spot on with her explanation. So," he said, not wanting their conversation to die out. He was enjoying his time with Ginny and was glad to be making a friend, something he never really had. "Is there any other big differences between the groups? I mean are we all segregated and stuff or do we mingle?"

"Well," Ginny said. "We mages tend to have more combat training than any of the other groups. Wizards and sorcerers tend to rely on their magic a bit too much for our tastes; I mean there will always be something that cannot be solved by energy alone. In fact we act more like a combat group than anything else. We're trained in all sorts of methods of subterfuge, strategy, and personal combat so that if anything ever does happen will be ready. We even have a military chain of command."

"Seems to be sound thinking to me," Harry intoned. "If we were to end up fighting someone, we would have a definite advantage with everybody being able to spy or fight or what not." He chuckled slightly, "It does seem that we might be a bit on the umm…shall we say, paranoid side?"

Ginny laughed brightly, "It does seem that way doesn't it? My father has a friend whose favorite saying is 'constant vigilance!' He goes around shouting that to anyone who will listen and even those that don't."

"Sounds a lot like Dazna," Harry was smiling broadly. "He was always badgering me about being in constant awareness of anything and everything around me."

"Sage advice," Ginny nodded. "My teacher said that too and more often than not it prevented me from getting caught in a prank by my older brothers."

"Pranksters huh?"

Ginny rolled her eyes heavenward, "You wouldn't believe how big of pranksters they are. They are continuously driving my mother crazy with their tricks." The reached the main doors of the tower now and Harry felt the warm sunlight wash over him as they stepped outside. "She always complains how they are going to drive her to baldness one day."

"They sound like fun," Harry smiled. "I'll have to meet them one day."

"You'll regret it for the rest of your waking life."

A little later, the young pair came to a plain looking building with a glass door that had two guards standing vigil on either side. As they approached, one of the guards turned and placed his hand on a small plate that was next to the door. The door swung open silently and admitted Harry and Ginny into the room. Harry turned to ask Ginny where they were but she stopped him by pointing around the room and saying, "Suit yourself up. You need to be properly equipped if your going to be a part of the order."

The room was fairly large, perhaps a hundred meters in length and twenty wide but the walls were lined with swords, staffs, knives, and any type of imaginable weapon. There were also racks of armor and cases of jewelry running up and down the center of the room. There were suits of full plate armor like that worn by ancient knights, as well as full samurai gear.

"What am I here for?" Harry questioned Ginny.

"Well," she replied. "You need a weapon of choice first, like my daggers." She reached behind the small of her back and pulled out two beautifully crafted daggers that were about twenty-seven centimeters in length each. She twirled them around the back of her hand a couple of times before sheathing them and turning back to Harry.

"Nice," Harry proclaimed, impressed by Ginny's skill with the weapons. He figured that if things were actually like Ginny had been talking about, than weapons and armor were probably a symbol of a mage as much as anything else.

"Everybody fights a bit differently so make sure you pick something out that fits your style," Ginny said. Harry nodded and set out to find a weapon and set of armor that would work for him.

He wasn't looking for anything that was constricting and would hinder his movements even slightly so he quickly walked past the full suits of armor. About three-quarters of the way down the armor was of the lighter variety but still had shoulder and hip guards which would get in they way of some of his movements. Finally near the very end of the rack, he found what he was looking for.

It was simply designed, but very impressive looking black metal inlaid with silver. There was a pair of arm bracers, greaves to protect his shins, and a breastplate that formed to the front and back of his body leaving his upper arms bare. The front of the breastplate was a plain black without any designs etched into it. It looked plain but it was exactly what Harry was looking for.

"It's very nice. I'm glad that you found something you liked." Ginny said from behind him.

"It is what I was looking for, but doesn't it seem a little thin to you?" Harry asked while he strapped the arm bracers on. He was pleased to see that the inside of the armor was padded leather and fit comfortably over his arms. They were a tad large but after a moment the bracers shrunk to form a perfect fit over his arms.

"This isn't normal, everyday combat armor, Harry. Everything in this room is made up of strong titanium alloys with several charms laced on them. That stuff is some of the strongest material on the face of the planet."

Harry's breastplate fit easily over his shirt but the overly large shirt hung out of the bottom and sides. Harry immediately decided to get some proper clothing so he would look his part. It wouldn't do for the newest mage to look shabby all the time. "Okay, that should do it. I don't look goofy or stupid, do I?" Harry asked, turning in a little circle so that Ginny could get a better view of him.

Ginny smiled, "You look very dashing Harry, now let's get you a weapon." The search for a weapon took longer but Harry finally found a tai-chi sword that he liked. It matched the motif of his armor and both the sheath and the blade of the sword was lacquered a deep black with silver etching in them. Harry tied the sword to his back and did a couple of warm-ups with it to test its balance and handling. He was surprised to find that it handled perfectly and found himself glad that Ginny had made him choose a weapon.

As the pair walked back to the door, Harry took notice of several portraits that were hanging on the walls that he had ignored before. Each portrait was of one person and Harry could see the passage of time in the clothes that they wore. All of the figures wore armor and held themselves in a prestigious manner; Harry assumed that they must have been people of important standing. He found it interesting that each person had a phoenix etched into the armor and upon closer inspection, he saw that the design was the exact same on each of the people. Turning to Ginny, he asked her about it.

"Well…the phoenix design shows their position among mages. These people have all held the title of Lord Phoenix, leader of the mages and only they can actually bear that symbol. Blacksmiths have tried to etch the same symbol but never succeed; something in the magic prevents it I would assume. The only way the next Lord Phoenix can get the symbol is in the test." Ginny looked back to Harry, "You'll learn all about it later."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and decided to ask Dazna about it later. "Shall we go, milady?" he asked with an exaggerated bow and a sweep of his hand.

Ginny giggled softly, "Of course my steady knight." She took his offered arm and they walked out of the armory laughing and enjoying each others company. The two guards watched them leave and noticed the way the two seemed to lean into each other.

* * *

Harry and Ginny reached her grandmother's house still linked arm in arm. They found her Grandmother, Harry learned that her name was Cynthia, and Dazna chatting peacefully in the living room. After introductions were made Harry showed them his choice of armor and weapon, Dazna immediately approved.

"Good choice there, Lad. Flexible and easy to move around in, we're going to have to get you some proper clothes though if your going to be running around though."

Harry nodded in agreement, "Shouldn't we be getting back now, Dazna. We've been gone for a long while now and my aunt and uncle will be worried. Well…maybe."

Dazna shook his head, "Time moves differently here than the outside world Harry, for every hour you spend here only about a minute passes by in their world. Anyways, you'll be staying here for another month and a half on the outside world so we can finish your training."

Harry did some quick calculations, "So I'll be here for…"

"About another seven years, yes."

"Won't I be all old then? The Dursley's will notice the difference."

"Mages age differently than other humans, Lad. It comes from our mastery of our bodies internal energies. Do I look two hundred years old to you?" Dazna said with an amused smile on his face.

Harry blushed slightly, "I guess not."

"Besides," Dazna continued. "I'll be teaching you how to disguise yourself so you can stay looking young. The ageless look doesn't really set in until you are about eighteen years old."

Harry turned towards Ginny, "Will you be here too?" Harry didn't want to live the next seven years of his life without a friend.

Ginny nodded, "My mother knows that I'm staying with grandma even if she doesn't know that we're here. I'll be doing some of my training with you even, right Grandma?"

Cynthia nodded, "Yes dear. You two are only a couple months apart in age and the council thought it would be good for you to train up as partners."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; it was good to know that he wouldn't be alone in this. As he stood there, he couldn't help but wonder if anything in his life would ever be the same again. He watched as Ginny adamantly talked to her Grandma with Dazna watching on and he couldn't help but smile. He hoped it wouldn't and for some reason he knew that Ginny would be with him every step of the way.

* * *


	2. Chapter Two

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Posted: September 9, 2004

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Two

Harry plopped into the chair with a loud explosion of breath. He had finished his martial training a year ago and had moved on to the school of subterfuge. This is not to say that his training was no longer physical, merely that it was no longer focused on open fighting. There was nothing honorable or fair about this type of combat, the ideal being to strike lethally from ambush. Surprise and speed were of the essence: a foot broke a leg; an elbow, a rib; a stiffened hand crushed the windpipe.

Combat was supplemented with various other aspects. As the months had passed he had learned to make a fire without magic, catch food, and survive in a forest. He learned to climb sheer rock walls using his fingertip, toes, knees, and elbows; to walk a rope suspended in the air; to survive extended submersion by separating oxygen from water.

But all this training was a tool, not an end in itself. Harry was taught that real foundations of his success in this subtle art must be concealment and deception, not combat. If he had to use his fighting skills, it meant that the enemy had detected him and that was next door to failure. Being detected was not, as Harry's teachers put it, _elegant_, even if he got away unscathed. It often went like this:

"Harry! What is the pinnacle of excellence in the art of subterfuge?"

"That I act without being detected, so that the enemy does not know who has carried out the attack against him. He is befuddled and does not know whom to blame."

"Wrong! You are lax in your studies! It is that the enemy does not know there has been an attack, until he discovers that his strength is dispersed, his defenses nullified, and that he is suddenly in the hands of the enemy. Your ramblings, however, has an element of virtue, tell me why!"

Harry paused to consider before voicing, "Because, in the world as it is, the pinnacle is the ideal and therefore difficult to achieve. Thus, while I should always strive for the ideal, I must not always disdain the less elegant solution. To strive too high, is to invite disaster."

Harry had prided himself on answering that correctly and the spymaster even gave him a rare voice of approval. He quickly learned that this approval didn't equate with less work and Harry found himself worked to the bone over his original incorrect answer. This was why he found himself exhausted in a comfortable chair in the study that Ginny's Grandmother owned.

Ginny had been reading a rather large, old tome in the coach across from him and lightly closed it when Harry collapsed in the chair. She looked at him with an amused smile on her face. "How was practice?"

Harry groaned lightly, "I made the mistake of answering a question slightly incorrectly. I thought I had managed to redeem myself but no such luck. Practice was extended by an hour."

Ginny giggled at the pained look on Harry's face. She set her book aside and lightly padded across the room, stopping behind Harry's chair. She gently began to massage Harry's shoulders, an act that had been repeated many times in the past after Harry's practices. "You know the only reason she pushed so hard is that they have great faith in you, all your teachers do, and they want to see you succeed."

Harry winced, "I know, I just wish they would be less…enthusiastic about it.

"You'll live," Ginny laughed that bright, tinkling bell laugh that Harry loved so much. He sat back and enjoyed the feeling of relaxation that Ginny's massage was causing.

Ginny continued to work in silence enjoying the companionship the two shared. There were few friends that were as close as Harry and Ginny, sometimes they could even sense what the other was thinking and feeling, an aspect that had helped more than once when they were fighting multiple opponents. A stray thought seemed to flit across her mind and Ginny double checked the calendar on the wall.

"Harry, your sixteenth birthday is next week, what do you want to do?"

Harry shrugged, even after having five birthdays while here in Phoenix Tower the concept was rather alien to him. The Dursleys had made certain that Harry's birthdays were anything but pleasant. "I don't know," he said softly. "Maybe just a small little gathering with Dazna, your grandmother Cynthia, and you in attendance. That would be a fine birthday."

Ginny sighed exasperatedly; the last five times she had asked that question his answer had always been the same. Well, this year she was determined to plan something different and exciting for Harry. She would talk to Dazna about it later. The minutes passed by, Harry's head rolled down and his chin touched his chest. The movement caused the back of his shirt to shift slightly and Ginny's eye caught something strange.

"Harry," she whispered. "Where did this scar come from?" She ran her fingers lightly across the faint line that ran from his left collar bone to the base of his neck. It looked ancient and she was sure that he hadn't gotten it while he was training here.

"Hmm?" Harry mumbled, seemingly coming out of a daze. "Oh, that's just an old scar from when my parents died in a car crash. I don't pay it any heed and it's not that obvious like the one on my forehead. Why?"

Ginny was too shocked by his answer to respond right away. She opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to make sounds come out. She managed to choke out, "Car…crash?"

Harry nodded, "That's why I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle before I moved in with Dazna." He paused and turned in his chair to look at her. "Haven't I told you this before?"

Ginny couldn't believe it; Harry thought his parents died in a car crash? Why hadn't anyone ever told him? The most famous person in the wizarding world did not even know that he was famous. She gulped slightly and looked at Harry with a pained look. She didn't want to be the one that told him but he deserved to know the truth, not whatever fabricated stories his Aunt and Uncle had filled him with.

"We need to talk," she was unable to keep the warble out of her voice.

Harry looked worried now, "What is it? Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

Ginny shook her head, "I'm fine but…"

"But what? What's wrong?"

Ginny drew in a deep breath and held it, drawing up her courage for what she was about to do. "Harry," she began slowly. "A long time ago, about eleven years ago in the outside world, there was a dark wizard that went by the name of Voldemort. He was a very, very evil man and he killed a lot of people to get what he wanted. He believed that pureblooded wizards were the only true humans and he worked to erase everybody else from the face of the planet."

Harry nodded, "Like Hitler in the second world war."

"Yes, like that. Now he was opposed by a lot of people and the wizarding world was at war, some of the people that opposed him were your parents."

Harry jumped up, "My parents were wizards?"

Ginny nodded, "And from what I heard, they were very powerful wizards at that. Voldemort was after them Harry, and they knew it so they went into hiding. But Voldemort found them and…" Ginny choked up slightly, "And then he tried to kill you Harry but for some reason he couldn't and in that moment he died."

"He died?"

"Yes and all the people of the wizarding world were at peace once again. Voldemort had been defeated and you were credited with his defeat." She stopped and looked in his eyes. "Harry you are the most famous person in the wizarding world. You're a celebrity."

"B-but I don't remember doing anything like that," Harry protested. "I can't be famous, I-I…" Harry seemed to deflate and Ginny couldn't help but feel for her friend. Throughout her childhood she had been told stories about Harry and his victory but Harry had just had the news dumped on him all at once, with no time to get used to it like she had. She couldn't imagine what it must be like.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively, worried by what she might see in his eyes.

Harry raised his head and Ginny stepped back at the frightened look that she saw in his eyes. "This…this won't change anything will it? I-I mean you'll still be my friend right?"

Ginny couldn't resist and she wrapped him up in a tight hug. "I'll always be here, Harry," she whispered softly in his ear. "I'll always be here with you." Harry responded to her hug and words and Ginny could feel the tension drain away from him. They sat like that for a few minutes before he pulled away and thanked Ginny.

"Thank you, Gin. You don't know how much that means to me." Ginny blushed slightly at the nickname. She never let anybody call her that but coming from Harry's mouth, she found she liked it. Harry looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and she let out a soft groan. She knew that look. He wore it every time he had something on his mind and wanted to…

"Let's spar," he said.

Yep, that was it.

* * *

"Alright Harry, let's do this again." Ginny crouched defensively before her opponent. Harry's only response was to tighten the grip on his wooden tai-chi sword. Harry and Ginny had become regular sparring partners his first year here and this scene had been repeated many times before this. Harry had been nervous at first about fighting Ginny but a quick demonstration of her bo-staff and the finer points of attack on a human, Harry, quickly changed his mind.

For long moments the two simply stood unmoving - each waiting patiently for the other to make the first move. Dazna, their current supervisor looked on bemusedly as the two settled into a somewhat fruitless staring match - years of training together unfortunately had resulted in their styles coalescing with each other - and both were of the opinion that it was far more advantageous to let the enemy strike first in a sparring match.

Finally, Ginny gave in and tested her opponent's defense with a light fore swing using her bo-staff. Predictably the staff tip reached its designated target an instant too late, and Harry was in addition returning a swift slash.

The observing master took the moment to reflect upon Harry. He had grown much in the past years - good food and constant exercise having developed him into fine handsome man. The years of malnutrition and mistreatment by the Dursley's had left their mark however and Harry's stature would never top five six. Harry would never let that stop him though and continued to advance leaps and bounds in the martial arts.

Ginny, too, had grown. She was still petite and looked as though she would top out at five feet two inches and used it to her advantage. Slipping through openings and getting closer to her opponent than most could. Her kicks were particularly devastating. Over the years of constant training and sparring, Harry and Ginny had developed their own personal styles of combat based heavily of adaptation. Analyzing their fighting style had proved no small headache for their tutors - it formed a very fine integration of Dazna's unarmed and armed combat, Cynthia's energy attacks, even some of the moves they had seen the elders perform had been taken into their style.

Returning to the duel before him, Dazna winced as Harry's spin kick managed to connect with Ginny's lower jaw. That would certainly leave a bruise. Holding her mouth tenderly the redhead angrily protested, "HEY! That's my move!"

Mildly amused, the alleged plagiarizer commented, "And where is it written that 'Ginny's special kicks' are patented unto herself?"

Playfully infuriated the young woman flipped herself to an upright position, using her staff for a prop; the lady launched a rapid fire series of twisting foot punches, hoping to dislodge Harry.

Harry knew better than to try to break through Ginny's fancy footwork - a single kick could temporarily disable a limb. Instead, he chose to retreat in a reverse back leap, keeping his sword directed to counter the expected offensive. A two fingered jab from the hilt, a tossed energy blast, and a light series of punches quickly put the black haired youth in the advantage. Ginny cautiously receded, bo-staff rapidly stabbing to keep her partner fighting from a distance.

From the sidelines, Dazna continued to observe with an impassionate facade. "Ginny reverse your hold, you'll have a better grip…..and Harry, stop swatting - your sword is an extension of your arm - not a baseball bat." Silently he noticed that another master had joined him in the spectacle.

With a light voice, Cynthia mentioned, "Every time I show my granddaughter a new combination to employ in the next duel - I find out that you have taught your own protégé a counter to that move plus another three forms. The repetition is getting damned annoying I tell you."

Dazna smiled at the woman's mock frustration. "It's alright - young Ginny doesn't take the defeats personally - she accepts that Harry is her better, and appreciates the challenge."

"You'd better watch out or Harry might get cocky with all those victories."

"At least once a day, I have a sparring match with Harry to remind him of where his skills lie in the grander scheme of things." Absently he rubbed at a fading bruise on his temple "Although it gets harder these days to beat him without reverting to special techniques." As if in agreement, Cynthia presented a narrow discoloration along her left waist - courtesy of a stray punch from a bo-staff. Dazna continued on, "Ah, the pain we masters must endure for the sake of the mages."

Wryly, she commented, "Your bemoaning fools nobody - least of all Harry. He knows you take pride in every strike that breaks through your defense."

"That is so, but that doesn't make the pain any more bearable."

Cynthia sighed wearily as a series of painfully heavy slaps generated by high speed wood striking flesh pronounced the conclusion of the duel. "Ouch." Ginny groggily picked herself from the ground. "I think that makes victory number one thousand and….." she paused whilst consulting a very well-worn notepad, "…forty six. I now only have……let's see…… four hundred and fifty-nine…no make that fifty-eight wins to equal your score." Smiling brightly she added, "I'll get there eventually."

Ginny had taken to tallying their battles sometime after the first month or so - and despite the ever increasing numbers had continued to maintain that notepad almost doggedly. Harry helped Ginny to her feet and checked all of his hits to make sure that there would be no lasting damage. "You were fighting well there Ginny, that overhead jab really rocked me off my feet there."

"Yeah, I thought I had you there," she sighed while Harry checked the bruises on her face. "But it seems the resident God of the Mages lives to hold his title for another day."

Harry blushed brightly and mumbled something about not being that good when Dazna decided it was time to intercede, "Very good Harry, Ginny. You have both improved a fair amount. You should go shower and change. You need it. Cynthia and I will see you to tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay, Dazna," Harry replied and turned to Ginny. "Last one there cooks the other's favorite meal!" and with that, he bolted out the door.

"Hey!" Ginny cried out. "That's not fair!" and rushed after the rapidly fading back of Harry.

* * *

Even in the low light, Dazna could still recognize the solid black seal with the pair of swords crossed over a magnificent Phoenix. There could only be one sender of this letter though why he was sending any letters at all had Dazna worried. The last time he had received such a letter, it had contained his orders to start training Harry. While he was glad for the opportunity to train someone as talented and with as much potential as Harry the reasons for him starting his training at the time had not been pleasant ones.

Dazna grimaced as he recalled the fact that Harry's Uncle had been a child beater. It had taken all his willpower and a missive from the council to keep himself from destroying that fat oaf and leveling the entire household to the ground. He had been very upset at the order to not intervene and had taken that anger out on a poor tree that happened to be nearby. Needless to say, it had seen better days.

But now here was another letter from the Phoenix himself and as Dazna silently perused the letter, he hoped that the circumstance would be more forgiving than they were previously.

_Elder Dazna,_

_I hope that this letter finds in good health and I wish you success in all your achievements. It has been seven years since our last communiqué and I bear much happier news than the last message held. Harry and Ginny have been trained under your and Cynthia's watchful eye for the last six plus years and both have flourished greatly. And under your tutorship they have reached the time for a test of rights to become full and active warriors of the mages._

Now Dazna was surprised. Most students did not take the test until they were twenty-five years of age. To have one, let alone two students take the test at such a young age was unheard of. Dazna didn't doubt Harry and Ginny's abilities but the test was a difficult one containing a practical exam by the elders.

_Under most circumstances this test is to be taken individually but circumstances that are even now taking place call for a change in this policy. Harry and Ginny are to take the test together and, upon the completion of this test, Harry is to take the test of the Phoenix's Accession._

A strangled cry of exclamation caught in Dazna's throat and came out as a hacking cough. _The Phoenix's Accession?_ he thought in amazement. _He must be joking._

_I must stress to you the importance that this test is kept strictly secret aside from you four. Actually…allow Kyle to privy to the information as well. It will help things go smoother and it will surely twist the old coot's beard. But be wary, there will come a time in the future when this test and Harry's successful completion of it will be of profound impact._

_Until next time old friend,_

_Phoenix_

Damn, he wasn't joking. Dazna reread the part about the need for secrecy and let out a soft snort of amusement. If Harry did indeed successfully complete the quest for the Phoenix's Accession then he would be the commander of the mage forces, the leader of the council and city. Most of the mages would fall inline behind him and Cynthia if they backed Harry but there would be some hard heads that would not follow one so young. Kyle would help in that aspect he could garner a lot of support from the citizens despite Harry's young age. Nobody had ever taken the test this young before but if the current Phoenix told him that Harry was to take the test, than Harry would take the test.

Dazna just hoped he would survive.

* * *

Ginny and Harry sat in two comfy chairs by the crackling fireplace of the library. This room was a favorite of both of them and they often joined each other to chat or just sit in companionable silence. Night had fallen and the city was asleep but they simply sat, watching the logs crackle and pop as the fire caressed its bark. Even though it was late July, the weather on Phoenix Island was always on the cold and Harry had grabbed a couple of blankets to keep them warm as they sat.

"Harry?" Ginny spoke softly, her voice swallowed up in the night's abyss.

"Hmm?"

"I'm really sorry you know," she said. "About your parents and all. I didn't know that no one had ever told you what happened and I thought that you deserved to know. I hope you don't hate me for it."

Harry stood up from his chair and silently walked over to Ginny. The years of training showed as he made his passage across the floor without even the slightest whisper of sound. When he reached her he kneeled down in front of her and took her hands into her own. "Ginny," he looked at her. "I will never hate you. For as long as I can remember, you have been my only friend. Sure Dazna is one too but he falls more under the category of mentor. You have stood by my side and I by yours for the past five years here and I will never let something stop that."

He smiled and gave a little squeeze to her hands. "Besides," he shrugged. "It's not like I really care about being famous and I never knew what my parents were like. I wish that things could have been different but they aren't and I won't dwell on wishing for things that I can't have."

Ginny smiled back at him, "Good, I wouldn't want to have to beat some sense into you if you did but I would if I had to."

Harry laughed, "I'm sure you would." He continued to kneel there, simply looking at Ginny for a few minutes before he rocked back on his heels, standing up in one fluid motion and pulling Ginny up with him. She looked at him questioningly but he remained silent and held his palms against hers, parallel to their bodies, equidistant between them. Slowly, he pushed his right hand against hers before lightly giving way to the return force in her hand.

Throughout the many years that it has evolved, Tai-chi has always had one constant. The act of Pushing Hands, T'ui shou. It is an essential act in the way of knowing yourself, and in the way of knowing others. It cultivates the harmonious movement of mind, body and spirit in the art of fighting, exercising the internal energy that gives you power. The continuous, circular movement balanced the body both physically and mentally, allowing the Yin and the Yang to operate harmoniously with one another. It was a calming and relaxing act. Both of them allowed their energy, their jin, to flow around them, adding to the beauty of the dance. It ebbed and flowed about them reacting with their bodies and moving with their intentions.

It was an act they had both done before. In training to become a Warrior Mage, one had to focus on the passive arts as well as the aggressive. While styles such as kempo and karate were fine going against someone close in strength and size, Tai chi chuan was perfect when facing opponents much larger and stronger than you. It also served to relax them. After a long day of grueling workouts and classes, T'ui shou allowed them to wash away the hours of pain and stress. It was something they both enjoyed doing immensely.

This time, it was far more intimate than ever before. In the relaxing calm of the library and comforting feel of the fire, Harry and Ginny let their conscious thought leave them and merely reacted to the sensations around them. The pure white aura around them both began to mix, no longer pushing or pulling at each other; they began to trade bits of energy. The auras mingled, jostled and then joined in a bright flash of light, becoming far more powerful than either Harry or Ginny could achieve on their own. Reacting to feel of the increased power, Harry's eyes flew open, widening slightly before they locked with Ginny's.

Harry saw himself living in a crowded house that seemed to have been slapped together and held up by magic of some sort. He was playing with some dolls when one of his older brothers rushed by and a great cry rang through the household. _"FREDRICK WEASLEY!"_

Ginny was weeding the backyard when her over large cousin walked up behind her and pushed her in the dirt. She pulled herself up from the ground while his pudgy voice threatened. _"Not a word, freak."_

He waved to his brothers as they boarded the shiny train on their way to Hogwarts. Oh, how he wished he could go with them but he was still too young yet. _"Bye Fred, George, Percy!"_

She spit out some blood as she glared defiantly back up at her Uncle. He had come home drunk again and decided to take the loss of a customer out on her. _"It's all your fault!"_

He was amazed at the amount of power this new inductee to the order held. How could he stand controlling that much energy all at once? It was amazing! _"I give you your new peer and mage, Harry Potter!"_

She watched as the redhead came closer. She looked to be the same age as her and hoped that she would be her friend. She had scarce few of those. _"Hi, I'm Ginny!"_

He watched warily as the black haired youth across from him took up a stance that emphasized speed over power. Once again the two of them got ready to join in combat. _"Alright Harry, let's do this again."_

She slipped past the multiple strikes from her opponents bo-staff and slid under the follow up kick aimed for her chin. She sliced to the left with her sword and landed two strikes in rapid succession. _"Ouch."_

They sat in front of the fireplace, her hands cupped in his. They could feel the connection between them and it felt as if they were made once again whole instead of half. _"You have stood by my side and I by yours for the past five years here and I will never let something stop that."_

They could feel the magic throbbing against their skin and they felt it envelop them completely. It coursed through them like a tidal wave and they dimly made the connection to the same feeling as when they were inducted only with out the intense pain. Then, somehow, the whiteness began to fade away, bit by bit. Through their fogged view, they could see the last bits of energy being drawn into both of themselves.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked her. Before she answered he already knew that she was. He could feel all of her emotions and the sensations that she was experiencing. It was comforting. Even as she was nodding Ginny could feel Harry's concern for her and the relief that flared in his mind when he knew she was unharmed.

"W-What's going on? Why can I feel what you're feeling?" Even as she spoke it, Harry could feel the worry that she was feeling. He didn't know what was happening either but he tried to project a feeling of reassurance towards her, to calm her down.

Ginny gasped as the calming wave of reassurance warmed her from the inside out. She looked over to Harry and saw a determined look on his face and knew that this reassurance was coming from him. It touched her heart to know that he cared enough about her to try to reassure her this way and for some reason she found herself blushing ever so slightly.

The room around them was still bathed in white and they glanced around trying to make sense of what was happening. Standing up slowly, Harry walked over to where Ginny was sitting on the floor, her knees folded up underneath her. He held out his hand and helped her up from the floor glancing around furtively to make sure there was no one threatening them. The air about them continued to hum with power before a deep voice spoke clearly, coming from all around them.

"_And of these two bonded, the first born shall battle he who calls himself the Dark Lord devoid of assistance. Two of the Gems shall preserve the evil one from conventional means of annihilation to the despair of the first born and at the final confrontation a choice upon the powers shall be made. It is in that choice that The Dark Lord will perish…or rule all that is."_

The voice was painful to the ears and both of the teens covered them to ward off the agony. The words spoken by the voice were etching themselves into their brain like a painful brand. Falling to their knees, the teens endured the pain until it became too much and they welcomed the sweet emptiness of unconsciousness.

* * *

The door slammed open and Dazna and Cynthia rushed in, ready for battle. "We felt the energy gathering in here. What happened?" Cynthia asked worriedly. It wasn't until after she had asked that she realized that the inhabitants of the room were currently passed out on the hardwood floor. She quickly ran to her granddaughter's side and checked for vitals. Once she was assured that her grandchild was alive and well she looked up to Dazna who was performing the same check on Harry.

Dazna caught Cynthia's look and nodded softly, "He's fine. Let's get them into bed." He picked up Harry's limp form in his arms and walked him into the guest room. It was one of the few times that both of the adults were thankful that their charges were so light and small. He sat Harry down on the left side while Cynthia set Ginny on the right. "Alright then," Dazna stood straighter. "Cynthia, you're better at tracing magical energies than I am, go see if you can work out what happened in that room. I'll stay here and perform some scans to make sure that they really are okay." Cynthia nodded and left the room quickly, hoping to figure out what was going on before the magic trails faded.

"Okay then," Dazna muttered. "Let's do this." Dazna quickly brought his magical aura up around him, letting it bath the entire room with his energy. It was easier to interact with other's energies when they were outside the body. Holding one hand up, the ceiling of the room began to grow a bright white. As he slowly lowered his arm, a sheet of white light descended, razor thin, like a stretched out piece of paper, the light washed over each of them before disappearing once it hit the floor.

Dazna was surprised to see that both of the teens' power levels had risen considerably since he had last scanned them a month ago. But despite that, he could detect no problems among their energy field. _Better safe than sorry,_ Dazna thought briefly before he muttered the incantations to a stronger more detailed scanning spell. Tracing through Harry's energy pathways Dazna felt as if there was something just on the edge of his senses, like a shadow that was always behind him and no matter how fast he turned he couldn't see it. When he started to scan Ginny he got the feeling once again, a flicker on the edge of his eyesight.

Pulling back from the scans Dazna looked at the two sleeping youths with a tinge of worry. That uncomfortable feeling was within both their magical cores but he didn't have a clue of what it was. The closest thing he had ever felt to it was a…a death bond. "Of course," he spoke softly. Initiating the scan once again, Dazna concentrated on both Harry and Ginny this time, looking for the connection he was certain that was there. Sure enough, a bond had formed between glowing brightly to his magic enhanced senses.

Dazna frowned as he looked closer at the bond. Common bonds, like life depts., were magically binding, siphoning a little magic of each of the witches or wizards to form the bond. But Harry's and Ginny's bond wasn't being fueled by their magic, Dazna's eyes widened…it was being fueled by their very souls. He spun around to the door just as Cynthia burst in. "Cynthia," he shouted.

"Dazna," she too shouted.

"They're soul-mates!" The elders yelled out together. Each blinked owlishly at the other before Dazna spoke up, "What did you find?"

"I don't know how they initiated it, the magical backlash from what ever they did washed out all former traces of magic. But I do know that the spell somehow pulled both of their magical and life energies out of their bodies and then combined them. After that, it separated and both Harry and Ginny received the newly combined energy back. The only possible way this could have happened…was if …"

"They were soul-mates," Dazna finished for her. "I detected the bond after a couple scans and found that it's not being feed by their magic but by their very souls." Dazna paused for a moment and put a finger up to his lips. "Apparently, Harry and Ginny were meant to be together and what ever spell they created in there was strong enough to tug on that small bond that already existed between them. Now, it is stronger and will definitely be noticed by them but since they are pretty much married now anyways I doubt that either will care."

Cynthia was wringing her hands together slightly, "Married? Dazna, do you have any idea what Molly will do to me if I bring back her only daughter married? Not only married, but married to The-Boy-Who-Lived? She'll kill me, mother or not!"

"I'm sorry, Cynthia," Dazna spoke softly. "But I don't see that there is anything that we can do. Soul-bonding is permanent, we'll just have to help them in anyway we can." He waved one hand over the two teenagers and their clothes became pajamas. Another wave and the covers came up over them. The two adults turned and quietly walked out of the room leaving the two new bonded alone in their dreams.

* * *

Ginny slowly awoke to a warm comfortable bed. _I could get used to waking up like this, _she thought sleepily. She was currently waking lazily in bed with a young man's arms wrapped around her. As the memories of yesterday drifted slowly back to her mind she snuggled closer to the young man. _So we are bonded,_ she contemplated. _It could be worse, much worse. At least I already know everything about him and from that trading of memories I'm willing to bet he knows everything about me as well._ Ginny remembered reading about the ancient practice of soul bonding one time; the book had mentioned that it was a ceremony done after marriage.

Truth be told, Ginny had a crush on Harry for the longest time now, she just didn't know if she should act on it or not. _I guess now it's a moot point, considering we are all but married._ That brought another problem into play though. She may be almost sixteen here on Phoenix Isle but when they returned to England they would both be masquerading as eleven year olds. _And eleven year olds can't be married._

A slight shifting of his arms told Ginny that Harry was awakening. He pulled Ginny closer to him before his eyes shot open and his entire body tensed. It seemed that the happenings of yesterday came back to him as well and he slowly relaxed, though he never released his hold on Ginny.

"Ginny?" he asked softly.

"Hmm?" Ginny mumbled into his chest, unwilling to leave his warm embrace.

"Did you get my memories yesterday like I got yours?" Ginny just nodded in affirmative. "This all just seems so surreal," he continued on. "Whether it was intentional or not we've shared things with each other that we've never shared with anyone else, things that we intended to never share with another soul living or dead are now known by another person. I guess I got lucky that in this case the person that I shared them with happens to have a good heart as well as being darn cute."

Ginny blushed at the praise and looked up into Harry's face. "I feel that way too. I know it's going to be strange but since we have already bonded to each other can we at least see if this will work between us? We can always find a way to break the bond later."

"I can't think of anyone that I would rather share this bond with than you. If you can stand me, I'll try to make it work." Harry pulled Ginny into a tight hug and the two just lay there for the better part of an hour, enjoying each other's company. Finally, Harry broke the silence, "I think it's about time that we found Dazna and your Grandma and asked them about what happened yesterday."

Ginny nodded and regretfully extracted herself from Harry's embrace. She turned and placed her bare feet on the floor and stood up stretching her arms above her head, relieving the slight tension that had built up in her muscles over the night. Turning, she saw Harry waiting for her by the door. She walked silently across the floor and joined him. "Let's go."

As it turned out, they didn't have far to go as both Cynthia and Dazna were sitting in the kitchen, sipping on some tea. The conversation they were having cut off as soon as they saw the two teenagers making Harry extremely suspicious over the contents of that talk. Both of the adults watched them for a moment before Dazna spoke up.

"Sleep well?" he asked with hidden amusement in his voice.

Ginny nodded, "Better than ever." It took a moment for her to realize what she had just said and she blushed a bright red.

Cynthia chuckled, "Of that, I have no doubt. What brings you two out here? I'm sure there are more…constructive things you could be doing with your time."

This time Harry blushed along with Ginny at the obvious innuendo. "Actually," he said. "We wanted to talk about what happened yesterday. We don't know what we did, but now we can feel each others emotions. Do you know what is going on?"

Cynthia answered, "Well from what we can tell…you two have somehow managed to bind yourselves to each other in a way that we have not seen before."

Dazna sat his cup down and nodded, "We don't know all that much actually. Most of the knowledge about bonding between two people has been lost for thousands of years. The only thing we know for certain is that it appears to be permanent and that most couples experience an awareness of each others emotions." He held both his hands up in a helpless gesture. "Other than that I'm not sure what I can tell you other than for the bond to even happen in the first place, the couple must be soul mates. It's the only way for their magic to be that compatible."

Ginny gave Harry a look, apparently they did not know about the exchanging of memories. Then the last of what Dazna said hit her. "S-Soul mates?" she managed to stutter out.

Cynthia nodded happily, "Isn't it great? You found the man you were meant for and you didn't even have to look very hard."

Ginny rolled the idea over in her head a couple times and she felt a little faint. Harry must have noticed because he quickly led her to a chair to sit down in. "Soul mates?" she said again. It was hard for her to not be amazed. It was very rare that soul mates ever really found one another. There was just too many possibilities on the planet and most people were constrained to the places they lived.

That wasn't to say that married couples couldn't love each other totally and completely, just that they hadn't found the exact person to match their soul. It rarely ever mattered to them though. And here she was with the man that was her perfect match and the one who she was destined to love standing right next to her. "What about that voice?" she asked.

"What voice?" Dazna questioned.

Harry answered for her, "Well…towards the end of the…well…the binding, there was some voice speaking to us and it told us about a Dark Lord and a fight, something about some gems too. I'm pretty sure there was a bit about a choice of some sort."

Dazna perked up and looked slightly worried, "What were the exact words? Can tell me?"

"Sure," Harry shrugged, "Just give me a moment. Let's see…" Harry brought one hand up and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It went something like this…'_And of these two bonded, the first born shall battle he who calls himself the Dark Lord devoid of assistance. Two of the Gems shall preserve the evil one from conventional means of annihilation to the despair of the first born and at the final confrontation a choice upon the powers shall be made. It is in that choice that The Dark Lord will perish…or rule all that is.'"_

Cynthia gave Harry a surprised look, "It went _something_ like that?"

Harry shrugged, "I have a good memory."

Dazna was frowning to himself, his forehead furrowed in thought; Ginny thought this made him look much older than he normally appeared. "This is not good," the dirty-blonde haired man mumbled. "This sounds too much like a prophecy to be ignored. Did you get any sense on what this choice might be?"

Ginny spoke up, "No…but I don't understand this whole thing any how. Who are these people?"

"Well," Harry drawled. "We have to assume that this 'first born' is me. 'O_f these two bonded_,' I am older than you Ginny, first born. Unless there have been any new Dark Lords turning up from underneath their rocks, I think it's safe to say that Voldemort is the Dark Lord I'll be battling."

Dazna nodded in agreement, "I think your right, Harry. Voldemort will be your opponent."

"But I thought Voldemort was dead?" Cynthia asked. "He can't just comeback from the dead."

Dazna leaned back in his chair, his eyes alight with speculation. "Nobody really knows what happened that night. For all that we know Voldemort's soul could be wandering the earth right now even though he lacks a physical manifestation. If that was the case, there are several ways he could regain physical form if he had the right items and help from a physical manifestation in this plane of existence."

"A servant," Ginny stated.

Dazna nodded, "While most of the Deatheaters went underground or did some fast talking to get out of jail, it's safe to say that there are still a few out there that would be willing to help him. They would just have to make the connection and then find his spiritual materialization."

"Whatever he does," Harry continued. "It seems like these stones are going to protect him somehow when we do end up fighting. And from the sounds of it…I don't think swords and normal battle magic are going to be able to do anything. I will have to see what I can find out about these gems before we decide anything further."

"That's right," Dazna spoke clasping his hands together. "So that being said I think that you'll be able to get some help."

This got Ginny's attention, "What do you mean, Dazna?"

"What I mean," answered Dazna, taking a deep breath and bracing himself. "Is that you and Harry are to take the test for full mage status tonight and after that Harry is to take the test of the Phoenix's Accession. It will help you gain access to more materials."

"What?" both Ginny and Cynthia yelled. This was new news to Cynthia and she made her opinion clear. "What do you mean Harry is going to take the Phoenix's Accession? He is far too young for such a thing! For crying out loud he will be the youngest _attempted_ in _all_ of history. I mean what? The last test was a hundred some odd years ago…by a wizard in his nineties? And Harry is supposed to take the test at sixteen? Not to mention that if he actually passes the test he will be the new Lord Phoenix and I doubt the hard heads on the council will allow it."

"That's assuming he even survives the test," Ginny cut in. "Dazna, the probability of death in that trail is four of five! I will not allow my soon to be husband risk his life like that!" Ginny didn't even realize they she addressed Harry as her soon to be husband and continued on berating Dazna. "I can't believe you would even think about letting Harry take that test. What is wrong with you?"

Dazna held up his hands as if to ward off the fiery redhead's temper. "It's not my choice," he pleaded. "This is an order from the current Lord Phoenix himself. Besides, if Harry does pass he won't assume leadership until several more years."

Harry held up his hand as if he were in class. "Um, what are you all talking about?"

Ginny stopped herself from going on another rant about how stupid the idea was and turned towards Harry. She drew in a deep breath, held it for a second, and then let it all out in an explosive puff. "The Phoenix's Accession is the final test of any mage to become the Phoenix." As if in anticipation of Harry's next question she continued, "The Phoenix is the leader of the elder council and basically commander of all the mages in the world. He, or she, is the top of the totem pole so to speak."

Cynthia spoke up at this point, "Actually, the Lord Phoenix speaks for all magical beings. When Ginny says, 'the top of the totem pole,' she means the very top. In any magical government, the Lord Phoenix is the highest position available."

"Which is why," Dazna interrupted. "That anybody can take this test with approval from their government or the current Lord Phoenix. Right now the Phoenix was a wizard and twice before that they were sorcerers."

Harry nodded his head in understanding, "I see. But why do they want me to take this test. I'm still young for such a position."

"I can guarantee that you won't actually take up the position for at least five more years," Dazna said quickly. "As for why you are actually going to take the test…I don't know."

Harry contemplated the events going on for several minutes before simply saying, "All right."

Ginny couldn't believe it, "But…"

Harry held up his hand, "If I have been ordered to take this test than I will take the test. Besides," he said smiling now. "This may be beneficial in the future somehow and I doubt they would send me without good reason. We'll need all the help we can get if it means I'll be going against Voldemort again. Being the Phoenix may help me garner the support I'll need."

Ginny looked like she wanted to protest the idea further but she felt the determination coming from Harry and lowered her head in acquiescence. "Okay…"

Harry saw how despondent she was and he cupped her chin in his hand. "Look into my eyes, Ginny." He raised her head up until her warm brown eyes meet his cool green ones. "I promise you that no matter what happens I will come back to you. Not even hell itself could keep us apart. I will return." It was strange to feel this strongly towards her when a short day ago he would not even think such emotions were possible. But with the bond and their subsequent sharing of memories he felt that he had lived with Ginny his whole life, not just the last five years.

Ginny looked deep into his eyes and she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She grabbed him into a fierce hug and cried silently into his robes. "I-I just don't want anything to happen to you. You mean the world to me Harry." And she realized that it was true. She could no longer imagine her life with anyone else other than Harry. It was this realization more than anything else that told her how much he meant to her.

Cynthia and Dazna merely sat and waited for the moment to play out. It was amazing to see how much devotion to each other the two teenagers had. Both of the adults had read about the bond but to see it in real life was something beyond amazing. There was an almost tangible connection in the air and they hoped beyond hope that Harry would survive his test so that the bond would continue on.

Slowly, Ginny pulled away from Harry and dried her tears with the back of her hand. Her other hand firmly clasped in Harry's who had no intention of letting it get away. The couple turned towards the two adults and looked up with new determination in their hearts. "What's next?"

* * *

It took a great deal of training to become a warrior mage, the career that both Harry and Ginny had chosen to follow. While they may have been influenced slightly by their guardians, being war mages and members of the council themselves, the choice had been predominantly theirs. As far back as Harry could remember he was always fighting and resisting evil. Of course, evil for an eight year old had been the village bullies, his cousin Dudley. It was as if fighting was Harry's flame and he the moth. Even when he was just practicing he felt at home with the moves he would do and the attacks he would initiate. Dazna would often comment on his ability to pick up and adapt moves to his style in a very short amount of time. "It's as if it is in your very blood," he would say.

And Harry often felt that Dazna could be right with that statement. When ever he was sparing or merely practicing katas, he felt as if his blood was on fire with energy. Energy that had only increased as he adapted magic into his style. When the choice of a career was offered there had really been only one choice to make.

Ginny too had no hesitation in wanting to become a warrior mage. While not as pronounced as Harry's, she had a definite affinity for the combat arts. But for her, there was no greater joy than when correctly learning and perfecting a new energy attack and adding it to her already vast repertoire. With almost out thought, she could rein vast amounts of destruction from afar with a spoken word or simple gesture. Together the two made an excellent team, Ginny providing ranged support and Harry taking on combatants up close for hand to hand. Neither had ever really discussed any type of a strategy, they just did what came naturally to them. Fortunately for them, it was a combination that few could stand up to.

The Council hall had been prepared for the event. The large oak table that normally sat in the center of the room had been removed. All along the walls and in front of the plush benches were green emeralds, pulsing with power. They had been charmed as a sort of protective net of sorts, protecting the people and walls behind them from any stray energy that may fly around. The cold marble floor was covered with mats to slightly lesson the pain of falling but firm enough to provide sure footing to the combatants.

Harry and Ginny stood off to one side, garbed in black tank tops and camo pants. Their feet were bare and bodies unprotected. In this test, to even the playing field armor was not worn and weapons left on the sidelines. The danger was still there though, energy attacks were still allowed and medics were on standby just in case. The pair was going through some stretching exercises, no words being exchanged between them. Across from, the entire war mage army stood…all twenty-two of them.

It would be unfair to state that all Mages were warriors, it too extreme of a statement. While it was true that every mage went through combat and physical training, it was only for about a period of two to three years. In the lifespan of a mage it wasn't really that long. Only warrior mages went through the extensive training that lasted for the better part of a decade. The rest of the mages went on to do whatever job that they so wished. Whether it was a teacher or a painter, a cook or a lawyer, even simply being a scholar like Kyle, pawing through books all day in an effort to learn something new and possibly create something new while you're at it. For only five hundred people there was a diverse amount of jobs on, and some off, Phoenix Isle.

But even looking at the twenty-two Lieutenants, Lieutenant Commanders, a Major, and a General, one could see why Mages were such a feared fighting force. Each and every one of those twenty-two had been fighting enemies for many, many years in real life combat situations. The warrior mages of Phoenix Isle had learned quickly that during a time of peace there was substantially less things for them to do. Training was continuous as always, and the roving patrols and escorts that protected the civilians of Phoenix Isle took up some time, but after that their schedule was fairly clear.

Until someone got the idea to hire out mage services to wizards and sorcerers under the guise of being mercenary wizards. It took sometime before the magical community began to utilize these 'mercenaries' but after the first few successful missions, the mages began to make a name for themselves. Over the next few decades, the success only continued to grow and the mages formed a company front to base their operations out of. The business _Scarlet Phoenix_ was doing rather well for itself and had world-wide recognition as the having the best professional soldiers for hire for any task, ready for any type of combat thrown at them.

It was combat that had hardened soldiers like Jill Stephens, Lieutenant Commander and sword master, or Ryu Tanaka, Lieutenant and master of hand to hand combat, even Cynthia had participated in missions and perfected her use of energy attacks. Theses were the mages that Harry and Ginny would be facing today…well if the could get high enough that is.

As the last of the spectators filled in the benches Kyle came out to the middle of the mats and waited for silence before beginning. "Ladies and Gentlemen of Phoenix Isle!" he called out in his deep voice. "Today we are to see the advancement of our two newest mages to full warrior status. A feat that they will perform at the young age of sixteen, let's all give them a round of applause." The crowd roared in approval and cheers and whistles sounded throughout the room in encouragement. Kyle held his hands to call for silence once more. "As eager as you all are to have the match start, bear with me for a moment," he continued on. "In today's test, the duel will be in groups of two, Harry and Ginny against two of the Phoenix Army."

The test itself was difficult. It involved one on one combat with the members of the Phoenix Army until knockout or a 'lethal' wound is given. If the tested falls, the test ends and that is that. If the warrior mage falls than the next steps in and takes his or her place and combat resumes. This continued until the tested drops or makes his way up the ranks from Lieutenant up through the General. Most lost to the first three Lieutenants, age and experience beating youth and fresh training, but every so often there were a few that were expected to advanced much higher that that.

Harry and Ginny were two of these people.

"The format of the duel is normal," Kyle was explaining the rules even though everybody already knew what they were. "Upon knockout or submission, the combatant his removed from the duel. In the case of Harry or Ginny falling…" There were some scoffs in the crowd at this. Kyle smiled lightly and went on, "then the remaining combatant must fight two on one." Kyle turned to look at both the mage army and Harry and Ginny. "Are you ready?" he asked and upon receiving affirmative nods form both parties he looked to the crowd once more. In the front sat the council. "Are the judges ready?" Judging was really just a formality, anybody that took the test was ready to become a warrior mage, the trainee's teachers having made the decision already but having the council involved in the process gave it more formality.

The judges gave their okay and Kyle moved away from the middle of the floor and took a seat with the rest of the council. "When the gong strikes," he called out. "You may begin."

Harry stepped onto the mats moving forward to just off the center, Ginny remained further back, closer to the right corner. The first two Lieutenants came forward as well standing equidistant from each other on their side of the mat. Nobody moved for a second and then a deep resounding gong filled the room. The battle was on.

* * *

Before the gong had even finished ringing Harry was moving. He leapt forward and punched one of the combatants in the gut, making him fold up around Harry's arm. Beside him, the other was taken out by a quick blast from Ginny and in an instant two of their opponents were already out. The rest of the mages blinked at the speed before two more jumped onto the mat. Muttering a quick banishing charm the two fallen opponents were sent to the edge of the mat and Harry prepared for the next confrontation.

He slipped into a loose combat stance and waited for his opponents to make the first move. The surprise attack that Harry and Ginny had down was successful but could only work once. The rest of the mages were now aware of their speed and would be prepared for it. Even now, the next Lieutenant was charging Harry at close to the same amount of speed he himself had just displayed. Dodging a right hook, Harry dropped to the ground and swept the legs out from under his opponent, out of the corner of his eye he could see Ginny dealing with the other warrior mage. Tumbling to the ground, Harry's adversary rolled back and popped to his feet, immediately unleashing a high kick towards Harry's head. Harry once more dodged and swept the legs out from underneath the man, this time following up and punching him solidly in the solar plexus…a 'lethal' hit, the man was out. Harry once more dodged and swept the legs out from underneath the man, this time following up and punching him solidly in the solar plexus…a 'lethal' hit, the man was out.

The next man jumped in. _Three down, nineteen to go._

* * *

Ginny took down another opponent and wiped her forehead of sweat. Between the two of them, Harry and she had taken out most of the mage force and now there were only a few left. Dazna and Cynthia watched on, the pride on their faces evident, beside them where the next two combatants, Lieutenant Commander Katie Bell and Lieutenant Commander Jill Stephens. Next to Harry and Ginny, they were the two most promising mages to ever become warriors.

Katie Bell was a shadow warrior of immense skill. Like Harry and Ginny, she was short in stature, standing at her tallest to five feet four. She was the last to become a mage before Ginny but had filled all expectations of her and then some. She had a sharp mind for battlefield tactics and made a good leader in combat situations. She choose however to remain a soldier and used her knowledge and skill to target out the leaders of the attacks and make short work of them, cutting of the attackers from their leaders and disorienting them. The remaining mage forces could easily deal with the unorganized remainder.

Jill Stephens was also young for a mage…only forty years old. Her honey blonde hair was wrapped up in a tight braid that hung to her lower back. At five feet ten inches she towered over Harry and Ginny. She, like Ginny preferred energy attacks over physical combat but if things were in a pinch she could dish out just as much damage with her broadsword as her magic. She had been trained by the mage that held the rank of General before Dazna but whom had died in a freak accident while driving to his home in California one day. Together the two worked as a good team and now Harry and Ginny had to face them.

Their action was quick and sound. Katie immediately went forward to keep Harry occupied while Jill went after Ginny with rapid succession of spells. Their strategy was clear, Harry and Ginny were a nearly unbeatable team and by keeping them separated like this they had a better chance of taking at least one of them out so they could then gang up on the other.

With a simple though Ginny erected a shield and rolled to the left. A few of the spells ricocheted off the shield but the rest flew harmlessly past her. She managed to get a stunning spell off but for the next few minutes she was kept on the defensive. Dodging as fast as she possibly could, Ginny managed to avoid most of the spells that Jill was hurtling at her with startling speed. Realizing that she would not win simply by dodging about, Ginny tried to get closer to her opponent in order to engage in some offense.

About halfway to her goal, Ginny noticed something interesting in Jill's attacks. After every fire spell she used, she immediately followed up with a stunning spell. Seeking to turn this to her advantage, Ginny quickly revamped her strategy. Staying a goodly distance away from Jill she waited for that fire attack. She didn't have to wait long for a mere moment later a blazing inferno was sent straight for her. Blocking it instead of dodging, Ginny quickly modified her shield reflect a stunning spell back at the caster. She wasn't disappointed when the undignified squawk signaled Jill's reaction to her own spell being shot back at her.

Using Jill's moment of distraction, Ginny quickly teleported behind the girl's back and grabbed her in a choke hold. Jill struggled for a moment but the lack of oxygen to her brain quickly sent her into the black world of unconsciousness. Breathing a sigh in relief and wincing at the cut that made itself known, product of one of Jill's spells. Standing up on shaky legs, Ginny turned around just in time to see the bright red light of her grandmother's stunning spell before she joined Jill, passed out on the floor.

* * *

Harry cursed to himself as he saw Ginny get hit by Cynthia's spell. He was having enough trouble with Katie alone and did not think that adding Ginny's grandmother into the mix would help his situation any. Katie was a marvelous shadow warrior, using invisibility and teleportation spells to their maximum, making it hard for Harry to tell were the next attack might even be coming from let alone defend against it. He knew that he had to get rid of one of the two quickly and then hope that he could survive against Dazna for at least a little while.

…Fat chance.

But he was determined to try. He had one trick that worked well against Shadow Warriors, Dazna had used it one him when Harry had first learned about shadow fighting. But to use it he would have to lure Katie into a false sense of security, which meant letting her get more hits in, more abuse to his body. At this moment however it seemed to be the only thing that would keep him in the fight any longer. Mentally shrugging, Harry began to ever so slightly slow down his reaction times to her attacks.

* * *

Dazna watched as his student fought against Katie. In all his life he could hardly be more proud of Harry than he was at that moment. Through everything that Harry had gone through, being orphaned, bullied, abused by his relatives, Harry still continued on and had shown that he had what it took to keep living. Dazna had known people who had gone through less and took the easy way out, becoming lifeless shells of men, giving up all hope. Not Harry, he simply grit his teeth and fought harder.

Even now after fighting off most of the mage force and having to be dead exhausted from all the combat he fought with his all, ignoring his tiredness. _A tiredness that seems to be making itself known,_ Dazna thought to himself as he watched Harry's reaction to Katie's attacks become slower and slower. It looked like Katie had noticed as well from the grim smile that had made its way to her face. She knew too that this fight was almost over. Cynthia also perceived it as she stood to one side, allowing Katie to finish her fight without assistance.

_It looks like the only one who doesn't know this fight is over is Harry,_ Dazna chuckled as he watched his protégé fight off a smirk. It wasn't until Harry, in what looked like an act of desperation jumped back and cast a thick blanket of fog over the area that Dazna understood what was going on. _I'll be damned…_he shook his head in wonder.

It was really a simple ruse, the key lay in getting the opponent to feel confident, overconfident. Lack of sight was a shadow warrior's best friend and as they had been winning up to that point, they let their guard down the tiniest bit in their overconfidence. But little drop in guard was more than enough opening for any mage of Harry's caliber. Katie was no exception and when her guard dropped, Harry was there with a massive energy attack that hit her dead on, having been unprepared for such a confrontation.

Katie flew through the air like a rag doll before landing painfully on the mats. Medics quickly rushed out to see if she was alright and Dazna waited before stepping out on to the mat to engage Harry. Looking towards the medics, he got a quick nod, showing that Katie would be fine and stepped forward. Beside him Cynthia dispelled the fog with a wave of her hand, revealing Harry, knelling on one knee and breathing heavily. Realizing that he was no longer covered he looked up and saw both Cynthia and Dazna looking at him with looks akin to pity. Dazna nearly laughed out loud as a look of horror passed over Harry's face before being replaced by one of resignation.

"Good job, Lad," Dazna muttered before deciding to take it easy on the poor lad and rushing forward, knocking Harry out with a single strike to the back of the head. Harry fell to the ground in an undignified heap. "Good job indeed…"

* * *


	3. Chapter Three

* * *

Posted: October 2, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Three

Harry awoke to a white room and the unpleasant smell of antiseptics and medicine that signaled he was in the hospital. He sat up quickly and was rewarded with a slight spell of dizziness for his effort. Pausing far a second to allow his vision to clear once more, Harry got his bearings back and looked around the room. In the bed next to him lay Ginny, a small smile on her face, sleeping peacefully. Next to her, sitting in chairs were Cynthia, Dazna and to his surprise, Elder Kyle, a man whom Harry had become good friends with during his time on Phoenix Isle.

"Welcome back, Lad," Dazna's warm voice ran over him. "You've been asleep quite a while."

Harry frowned, "How long was I out?"

Dazna chuckled slightly to himself, "About twenty hours now, you were dead exhausted."

"No thanks to the little tap you gave me on the back of the head," Harry grumbled. "That hurt you know."

"Really? I'm sorry…" Dazna replied in a tone and a wicked gleam in his eyes that clearly said that he was _not_ sorry.

Cynthia spoke up, "I'm proud of you Harry. You two did very well. If you hadn't had to go through the entire Army before facing us I think you just might have been able to take on Dazna and me." She brought a finger up to her chin and pursed her lips thoughtfully, a look that Harry had seen on Ginny's face many times. "Probably not though," she shook her had.

Harry scowled at her while Kyle and Dazna boomed with laughter. "With friends like these, eh Harry?" Kyle asked, mirth practically dancing in his eyes.

"Yeah…yeah…friends like these…" Harry stopped scowling and threw back the covers, hopping out of the bed. He grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up next to Ginny's bed, across from the Elders. He took up Ginny's hand in his own and looked towards Kyle, "Why are you here, Sir?"

"Come now, Harry." Kyle chided. "There is no need for such formalities between friends. As the Head of Council, it's my duty to formally recognize your new rank as a warrior mage." Seeing the confused look on Harry's face he expounded, "Besides, I wanted to see how you two were doing. Coffee?" He turned to a coffee maker that sat on a credenza behind him. Harry was certain that it hadn't been there when he had first awoken. Kyle poured Harry a mug, brewed in his traditional style, strong with a pinch of salt. He handed the cup to Harry.

"_Danke_," Harry responded, Kyle was born a German. "You mentioned something about rank?"

"Everyone is very impressed with you, young man. No one has shown a potential as high as yours in several millennia. We mages have been around a long time, I myself am proud to say that I helped the great Shakespeare with his play _Macbeth_. Anyway, I digress." Kyle reached into pocket and retrieved a small black box. He opened it and passed it to Harry.

Inside, Harry saw two silver bars resting on a black velvet cushion. Reaching his free hand into the box he pulled out the bars and felt the magic pulsing around them. He looked up at Kyle for an explanation.

"That signifies your place as Captain within the Order. Ginny also received that rank and the two of make up everyone in that ranking. The magic you feel around the bars is a spell that will cause them to adhere to your uniform and position them in the right place. As a Captain you will be a representative of the mages and may be called upon to escort high ranking officials or meet other leaders. Plus," Kyle smiled slightly. "You'll be out and about every now and then on missions for the Scarlet Phoenix Corporation. They usually don't last very long just a week or two, phoenix time."

Harry nodded and pocketed the box, reminding himself to attach them to his uniform later. The three of them sat there for a little while, Harry focused on Ginny's breathing and let his mind wander. He had always known that he wanted to be a warrior, a protector. It was there, within him, a deep seated need to help people in anyway he can even if it meant taking their pain as his own. For as long as he could remember the need was there, pulsing within him like strong heartbeat.

And now here he was getting that chance to protect people and instead of joy his mind was filled with worry over what sort of risks he would be put into. Risks that could leave Ginny alone and without her soul mate. Questions swarmed about him, would she be well taken care of, would she be protected, would she continue on? He resolved to, at the first opportunity, to consolidate his resources in both the mage and wizarding world and fill out a last will and testament so that, some of his worries, at least, would be put to rest.

Dazna seemed to notice his worries but mistook their origin. "Don't worry, Lad," he spoke reassuringly. "With the difference in time between Phoenix Isle and the rest of the world, missions are not near as often as one would think."

That piqued Harry's curiosity. He, as all mages, was well aware of the time difference between the two worlds but for some reason it had never been explained to him how it was that this actually came to be. It seemed odd that such an important fact of the mage life had been left out of the curriculum. Harry broached the subject with a cautious air about him, "Yeah, that's right isn't it? How does that work anyway? The time difference I mean…"

He did not miss the small look that passed between Dazna and Kyle, nor did he miss the nod that was obviously in response to Dazna's implied question. Kyle let out a soft sigh and stood up from his chair slowly. He drank the last of his coffee and sat the cup down beside him. When he spoke it seemed to Harry as if a few years had just been tacked on to the already impressive life of the Head Elder. "Come, Harry. It is time that you learn a little more about the mages and the world that all humans live in, mage or not." Kyle turned and began to walk to the room's door, a confused but intrigued Harry right behind him.

* * *

It was not hard to guess were Kyle was taking him. The street that they were hading down only had one destination…Phoenix Tower. The war from ancient times however had left the tower in ruins and now all that stood there were a few columns and left over marble blocks the size of cars. Many animals had made their homes among the fallen rubble and even now as they walked up the hill Harry could see several squirrels running around and playing. A cautious doe and her fawn were drinking from the small river that ran nearby and helpful songbirds seemed to stand guard on a tree branch over hanging the pathway.

Harry had only been here once before, when he had first been inducted as a mage and Ginny was giving him a tour of the island. He had thought then that it was a very calm and beautiful place but he had never noticed anything odd. Now though, five years of intense training later, his magical senses were going haywire with warnings. It was as if someone had placed as much raw magical power as they could find and dumped it into the very earth around them. It became so much of an annoyance that Harry had to smother his magical sensing to almost to the point of nonexistence. Not liking being 'blind' in such a manner, Harry cast Kyle a worried look.

But Kyle paid him no attention and continued walking towards the pile of stones that had been one of the most magnificent buildings in the world. When he finally spoke, it was in a soft, stately spoken manner, as if they were visiting upon a cathedral. "You have noticed by now that the raw magic in this area is very nearly overwhelming. It is not something that everybody can sense, mostly only those who have trained in looking for and feeling magical energies would even know that it was here. You could place an adult wizard or sorcerer here and they wouldn't be able to feel a thing unless they were looking for it. Even most mages are not trained in sensing magic enough to feel the power within this place. It is mostly the war mages like you that can experience the dominant atmosphere." He broke of to reach out with a weathered, old hand and touched a hard slab of marble that sat to one side of the ruins. The stone around his hand slowly disappeared until a hole large enough for a man to walk through opened up. He walked down the staircase that appeared, looking back to make sure that Harry was following him.

"Throughout time, there has been bad and good, right and wrong, and though we would like to think it, mages have not always been good or right. Many ages ago when mages were powerful and numerable we lived in splendor and were full of arrogance. The mages of old could do things that we now could not even began to imagine, fly through the air unaided, cast any amount of spells with a mere thought, raise mountains from the very earth itself. Oh the power they could control without effort." Kyle trailed off, his mind clearly imagining the wonders of the mages of old. But he quickly snapped out of it and continued on with his story.

"But then they began to lose touch with their origins. Our long life spans and magical powers set us apart from the world, even the wizards and sorcerers were fearful of the destruction that a single mage could bring down. Some people even say that we began to think that we were untouchable by even the Goddess herself."

Harry remained silent, he had heard most of these stories before, never in so great as detail though. Most often it was simply enough to say that the mage's egotism and greed did them in. And while he had known that the mages of old were powerful he couldn't imagine having the power on a scale of what Kyle was talking about. It was frightening really.

"Maybe it was the rumors spreading ideas about our being gods on Earth," Kyle continued to speak as the walked down the winding staircase. "That finally pushed them to take that extra step. Whatever the reason, being blinded by their impressions of superiority, the mages of old began to mess with that which should never be touched." They stepped down the last step into a large cavern. All around them, shadows were cast by a single glowing emerald that sat in the very middle of the floor. It pulsed with immense raw magical power, giving off the effect of a heartbeat. As if it was the very heart of the island itself.

Gazing on this stone and piecing together the story that Kyle was telling him along with what he knew about Phoenix Isle Harry finally understood. "Time…"

Kyle nodded in confirmation, "Yes, they began to mess with the powers of time. In the want of an endless lifespan they sought to create a place were mages would never age, in short they wanted to become immortal. Many mages lost their lives in the creating of the spell. Mistakes were commonly fatal but their thirst would not be quenched until they had succeeded." He pulled in a deep breath and sighed, "The wizards and sorcerers were fearful of what would happen should the mages succeed in their quest and they sought to stop it from happening, thus the beginning of the war. For many long years, the wizards, sorcerers, and even muggels waged battle against the mages. Their superior numbers offset our untouchable power. We finally drove them off but both sides were too weak to continue on. Unable to take Phoenix Isle the wizards and sorcerers retreated while we tended to our wounded and drastically reduced numbers. It was during the last battle that was fought here on Phoenix Isle itself that the spell was finally completed."

A mysterious smile lit Kyle's face as he continued on, "But the mages succeed and failed at the same time. While they created a time and aging difference, they did not achieve immortality." Kyle looked sidelong at Harry, who was gazing at the stone while listening to the Head Elder speak. "Do you know why they failed?"

Harry fought back his instant response of 'no' and looked closer at the spell that was woven into the emerald. Spell study was an aspect of training and he quickly fell back into the state of mind that would allow him to see the interweaving threads of magic. Walking slowly around the stone, taking in every possible detail, he began to speculate aloud. "The spell is two fold: one seems to encompass what I would assume to be the whole of Phoenix Isle and acts as a shell for the inner spell. The second aspect seems to almost fold in upon itself…warping the space and time around it as if linking to…" Harry's eyebrows shot to the top of his head and he looked at Kyle with a look of what could only be astonishment. "…as if it were linking to a place outside circles of the universe!"

Kyle chuckled, "Yes, by linking the inner spell to an extra dimensional pocket of space and time they were able to alter the passage of time within the outer spell, the shell. Twisting it like a Mobius strip to punch through the physical boundaries of space. Really an amazing piece of work. But why did it only slow down time instead of stopping it?"

Suppressing his amazement at the amount of physical laws that were broken right in front of him, Harry continued his examination of the spell. For many minutes he simply walked around the stone, probing and testing, trying to figure out where the mages of old had went wrong. And finally he understood a tiny flaw was all that was wrong. "Balance," he stated simply. "The spell is not in balance. The problem with inverting a spell in upon itself is that at the point of inversion, the spell would be vulnerable; a singularity being of only one dimension is susceptible to being destroyed or undone. This spell," he said pointing to the emerald. "Is not. Where it twists upon itself and punctures through the space time continuum there is absolutely no weakness were there should be. The mages of old knew of the vulnerability and decided to protect the spot by drawing power from the extra dimensional pocket to protect it. Therefore, too much of the spells energy affects the pocket and not enough is directed towards Phoenix Isle, like a teeter-tot wit a heavy kid on one end and a lighter on the other."

"Precisely right, Harry!" Kyle clapped his hands together in glee. "When they attempted this spell, mages were at the pinnacle of their capability but they purely didn't think things through. In nature objects balance as a defining regulation, effortlessly and openly, but when human deliberation is regulating the force, natural balance can be…redirected. They altered the spell from its natural equilibrium and shunted supplementary force to its insubstantial constitution thus invalidating the spells fundamental intentions.

"This serves as an instance, a model if you will for all of life. Everything must maintain some sort of balance. It is the solitary most imperative law you will ever learn and I want you to take it to heart. In the absence balance there is only chaos and where chaos reigns, death, destruction, and disaster follow." He watched the green-eyed boy for a moment as if judging whether or not Harry really understood what was being said. He was apparently satisfied with whatever he saw as he turned around and began to walk back up the staircase. "Make no mistake, Harry. Chaos is an innate component of life but it too must be countered by order and structure."

Harry watched the old man disappear around the curve of the staircase, and his voice floating down from the spiral steps with a fierce conviction, "Everything _must_ balance."

* * *

Ginny didn't need the prior knowledge to tell that something big was coming up. Knowing the way her Harry usually fought – his trademark unassuming, almost casual style, and the fact that he seemed perpetually ready for combat – whatever the dress or environs, well, this was different.

Starting from the bottom up, the methodical, careful way he armed for this battle revealed a side she doubted a very few people had ever seen. The simple black silken trousers which had been sufficient for daily training were now accompanied with the various components of his armor. The black and silver wrought greaves were buckled on over his pants and tightened to fit comfortably.

Harry continued to suit up; his upper body was bare of clothing save a wrap around his stomach that showed of his well defined abs quite nicely. Ginny shook her head, _Mind on the present girl._ The black and silver phoenix etched across his chest shifted with his muscles and seemed to move as if it were alive. Ginny had often contemplated on the significance of the phoenix as his tattoo. The ceremony caused a tattoo of the animal that associated with you the most to appear on your body. She herself had an almost exact duplicate of Harry's phoenix written across her back.

She had been inducted into the mages a scant year before Harry had. The completion of her ceremony had ended with a silver and black phoenix etched across the small of her back in exquisite design. When she had first seen Harry's tattoo she was flummoxed but with the bond and revealing that they were soul mates she now understood why they were the same. Either way she viewed it as a good sign for his successful completion of this trail. After all, why would he be closest to the phoenix if he was not going to be the next Phoenix?

Harry strapped on his breast plate over the wrap and the armor molded over him like a second skin. The breastplate was devoid of anything but black lacquer but in her minds eye, Ginny could see the silver phoenix that was soon to be magically etched across it. The armor left his shoulders and arms bare but he quickly put his armguards on over his forearms.

"Harry, you look ready to infiltrate the London Palace." She smiled as he slid a pair of her throwing knives into sheaths on his back. "How come I've never seen you dressed up like this before?"

"Because there was never a need to," Harry replied. He quickly tied his tai-chi sword to his back and slipped two more knives into sheaths near his ankles. Turning, the young mage made a show of posing before his wife to be. "Two throwing knives, one tai-chi sword, and two daggers – so how do I look?" He smiled dryly.

"Like a true warrior mage," came the reply from behind. Both turned to see Dazna standing by the door frame. He walked up to Harry and looked him over briefly. "Looking good Harry, how are you feeling?"

"About as well as I could be I guess."

"You'll do fine Harry. I have faith in you." The Phoenix's Accession was not an easy thing to achieve. It involved an unsupported trip into an actual combat situation followed by a no holds bared match against the current Phoenix at the end. Such was the difficulty of the test; most people that would end up trying were all over three hundred years of age. It was a tribute to Harry's abilities that he was undertaking this dangerous venture at the tender age of sixteen.

"Harry…" Dazna's voice was strangely serious and Harry paid instant attention. "I just want you to know, that no matter what happens, it has been my greatest pleasure to watch over you these last few years. Once you pass this test you will no longer be under my care," he smiled a wry sort of a smile. "Actually, you're going to end up being my boss. But anyways, my door will always be open to you and Ginny and I will always think of you as the son I never had. I just wanted you to know that."

Harry was truly touched; though the Dursley's were his living relatives he had never considered them family. Now the man that he had so often thought of as a father told him that he shared the same feelings, it was almost too much for the young man. In a rare show of affection, Harry embraced Dazna tightly. "Thank you."

Ginny watched the two men with a warm smile on her face. She almost jumped in surprise when her grandmother laid an arm across her shoulder. "It's wonderful isn't it?" she asked.

Cynthia nodded, "It's rare that those two ever show any affection. I think that this will do them both good." Suddenly aware of the presence of others, Harry and Dazna separated quickly and shook hands. Cynthia gave a kind laugh, "Oh you two." Ginny joined in with her laughter and the two boys stood watching their amused female counterparts.

"Any idea what's up with them?" Harry asked Dazna.

"You will find, Lad," Dazna said sagely. "That though you will live many hundreds of years, you will never understand woman."

Harry nodded, "Indeed." Sobering up Harry turned to face Dazna full on. "Okay," he said, squaring his shoulders. "What is my task?"

Dazna followed suit, "A call for aid was given to the Scarlet Phoenix corporation approximately one day ago phoenix time (twenty-four minutes real time). A small town in America is under organized attack by various vampires and their ghouls. Forces are currently being engaged but will be unable to adequately protect their flanks from the secondary force their scouts have reported coming in. You are to depart within the hour to protect that flank and deal with the vampires. Wizards from the Counterstrike office in America are dispatching teams within the next fifteen hours to help assist you in the situation."

Harry was surprised at this, "Wizards will see me?"

Dazna nodded, "They know that you are a specialist and come from our corporation, age will not matter to them, nor will the methods you use to deal with the vampires." Harry nodded in understanding. "Anyways, the wizards are stretched thin so if it is a force you can deal with alone, call headquarters and give them an all clear. The wizards will return to the front and leave you to yourself. Upon elimination of all the targets you are to await the arrival of the current Phoenix. From there, you will participate in a full on duel with the Phoenix and should you defeat him you will become the new Phoenix."

Harry gulped, "And should I fail?"

Ginny interrupted whatever Dazna was going to say, "Don't even think like that, Harry. You are going to win and you are going to return to me alive and well, you got that mister?" Beside her Dazna and Cynthia were nodding their heads.

"Yes," Harry sighed. "I'll beat this thing and be back in…"

"Time allotted for completion, seven phoenix days (three hours)," Dazna spoke up.

"I'll be back in seven days then," Harry said. He gave Ginny a hug and chaste kiss on the lips, causing them both to blush a bright red. He gave Cynthia a quick hug and shook Dazna's hand before turning and leaving the room without a glance backward glance.

Watching him leave the barest of frowns marred Ginny's face. "I hope that he will be all right, or at least avoids serious injury."

"I think we needn't worry," Dazna replied. "I would be the most shocked of us all if anyone could injure that student of mine."

"Arrogance?" Cynthia smirked; Dazna was not an arrogant man. She poked his arm teasingly.

"Hardly false pride, Cynthia - only reality."

* * *

By sheer force of will, Harry steadied his breathing to an inaudible waft that was carried away on the mountain current passing through the valley. Though the light of day had disappeared hours ago, there remained a glow on the horizon, indubitably from the pitched battle that was going on between the vampires and wizards on the north end of town.

Dispassionately analyzing the situation, the mage took stock of the situation. It was given that he was going to be outnumbered by almost thirty to one and ghouls, while lacking any type of combat skill, took a lot of punishment before they were put down. Vampires themselves were also a lot to handle and immune to many types of magic. Almost absently, he reached back to touch at the soft gripped hilt of his black lacquered blade, somehow comforted by its presence. He had lined the edge of the sword with silver upon receiving the knowledge he would be fighting vampires and was glad he had taken that extra precaution.

He had arrived slightly out side the village on the north side, near a small forested area with a small dirt pathway cut down the middle. Vampires were at home with the night but their ghouls were not the stealthiest of beings so Harry ruled out any type of sneak attack coming from the dark creatures. Indeed even as he stood there, he could hear the approaching enemy clumping through the forest.

His best bet was to deal with the vampires first. If he took them out of the picture, the ghouls would wonder aimlessly with no one to give them orders. It would be easy to pick them off one by one after that. In order to do that though, he would need to get them separated. He was counting on their natural cowardice and had created some images of wizards in robes off to his left. With any luck the vampires would order their ghouls to attack the images and Harry would be free to deal with them as he pleased.

And so, Harry had positioned himself in a location that would best suit this advantage - the tree limbs overhanging the path. He didn't have to wait long as a minute later the entourage made its way into his vision. There were more ghouls than he expected but there were only five vampires. It was a force he could easily deal with if he kept up the surprise attack. _I guess I still have a little bit of luck,_ Harry thought as he dialed headquarters and gave the all clear.

Upon sighting the wizard images Harry had created, the vampires quickly ordered their minions to attack. The ghouls growled in reply and took of in a strange loping run towards the images. _Perfect,_ Harry smirked. An open duel would be suicide in such a confrontation so Harry opted to take them out as quickly as possible. Dropping to the ground silently behind the vampires he unsheathed his sword and pulled a throwing knife free. He would have to hurry as the ghouls had almost reached his ploy, as lifelike as his images were, they were no substantial beings.

Arm whipping like a coiled spring, Harry unleashed the throwing knife at one of the vampires, piercing its heart through its back. In the next two seconds Harry was a blur of motion as he stabbed his sword through the chest of one vampire and loped the head off a third with a sweep of his blade. All three of the vampires dissolved to ash upon their death.

Harry moved onto the forth but it saw him and let out a strangled cry before its throat was cut and a silver dagger speared through its heart. Harry turned to the final vampire, ignoring the burning ashes behind him. Unfortunately, the final vampire had been alerted by the last's death cry and was ready for confrontation.

The vampire appeared to be taught in the ways of combat. He was readied in a low combat stance and had two katanas unsheathed and ready for a fight. Harry got into his own stance and gave the vampire a feral smile, "Are you ready to die?"

"Quiet mortal!" the vampire snapped back. "You may have got the surprise on my companions but I will end your pathetic life here and now." The beast snarled and Harry could see the moonlight reflecting off its gleaming fangs. Reacting under an instinct which he could not entirely comprehend, the boy had his guard up in good time to meet the monster's forceful double overhead chop.

Wasting no time, he took advantage of the momentary shift in inertia to foot swipe the ground clean of all other occupants. Thrown bodily, the vampire tucked and rolled with the fall, but nonetheless crashed heavily into the ground. Reeling slightly from the impact, the beast nonetheless vacated the spot with barely enough clearance to avoid the downward stab of Harry's sword. Flipping randomly to the off side, it was only sheer luck that prevented another fall.

Realizing that he was clearly outclassed, the vampire turned and made a run for it. Grinning like a gleeful child, Harry fixed the speed of the vampire's escape and drew his second throwing knife. He swiftly and silently sent the blade at the monster where it lodged in its back with a meaty thunk. The vampire stopped and stood still for a moment, as if needing someone to tell it that it was dead, before it to burst into ashes like its previous companions.

With no one left who possessed any combat skills, Harry quickly dealt with the remaining ghouls. As he was finishing up the last one he felt a red hot tingle run up and down his spine. He whirled about to see who had teleported in so close to him and came face to face with a man that appeared to be in his mid forties.

"Greetings Harry, I am the Phoenix."

* * *

Harry sheathed his dagger and pulled his throwing knife out of the back of a ghoul that lay fallen on the ground. He wiped the black ichors that served as the monsters blood off of his knife on a fallen cloak. He absently polished the blade as he watched the man called Phoenix like a hawk, never leaving the man an open opportunity to attack.

The man was not young, that much could be plainly seen in the thinning of his sandy brown hair, but his face did not show the years set in a grime determination that Harry knew very well. It was on his own face when ever he came across a new challenge.

He was wrapped up in a dark, heavy traveler's cloak and Harry could make out the several tell-tale signs of concealed weapons on his person including a wizard's wand strapped to the man's forearm. He was a big man, a bigness of large, heavy bone and ropy tendon rather than flesh. At one point in the man's life he received a light scar that ran across his left cheekbone, a testament to the man's skill as if the blow had been any closer it would have been fatal. Harry noticed the peculiar alertness of all trained warriors, a point in which the body was always ready for any type of confrontation.

Not a word was spoken as the two measured each other up, looking for any visible weakness or chink in their metaphysical armor. By unspoken agreement, they moved away from the ghoul corpses to a field near a well that sat behind a cluster of houses. They stood ten meters from one another, simply watching one another to see who would make the first move. Finally, Phoenix shifted his weight to his back foot and the battle was joined.

_He's fast!_ Harry thought, tracking Phoenix's movements with his cat quick eyes, he noted that the mage was attacking with a dagger in both hands. Harry whipped out his sword, the hiss it made coming out of the scabbard rolled through the night air, and watched as his opponent jumped in the air towards him. Rolling forward on the ground, he reached for his dagger with his left hand. Bouncing under his own inertia, he furiously parried a stabbing jab from the mage, grunting as the shock of the impact traveled up the arm. Ignoring the numbness, he stabbed from below, seeking to undercut the elder man's guard.

It was only Phoenix's speed training that saved him from a nasty stomach wound – his dagger only half-raised when it blocked the Harry's darting blade. Twisting away and flipping over the crouching wizard master, Harry let his dagger fly through the air, embedding itself in a tree trunk near Phoenix.

The opponents circled each other carefully, the initial attack had ended any hope that the battle would be over quickly. Harry had long ago recognized that the level of dexterity and speed being employed was well beyond normal conventions. The battle had not even reached the first minute, and he could feel the strain of too many super-speeded movements wearing down his endurance. Now was when the battle would come down to knowledge and experience.

Jumping wildly, he cleared a moment's space – sheathing his blade, and in the same movement flipping a throwing knife into the free hand. Obviously trained to avoid flying projectiles, Phoenix easily twisted around the path of the speeding blade, only to realize that another was flying towards him on his decent. A slight usage of his magic averted the course of the flying knife and he landed softly on the ground defending himself from Harry's offensive.

Harry cursed slightly under his breath. _Well_, he thought. _Time to take this up a notch._

* * *

Phoenix looked at his opponent with the greatest respect. Harry attacked superbly. Every move was smooth and every attack executed perfectly. He could feel it in the atmosphere – knowing that a mistake, any mistake, would cost him the battle. And the way that Harry now fought spoke of a pristine, systematic methodology that had never been apparent in the previous exchanges of the duel.

In the first thirty seconds, he'd lost a dagger – sent spinning off to sink at the bottom of a well of the town. It took a further minute or so to be relieved of the second. All of his throwing knives had been used to gain more space and now, being down to his last two daggers, Phoenix was in sore need of them. Remove the cat's claws before you skin it. A low growl escaped his throat – Phoenix, leader of the magic word wasn't going to be taken down that easily.

* * *

_Soon now…_ Harry thought as he relieved the master wizard of another dagger. The man was an excellent fighter and Harry was having a lot of difficulty. Sweat glistened on his bare shoulders and his pants were ripped in several places. His breathing was ragged now and he knew that he had to finish this fight or risk losing.

Harry sliced a thin cut on the older mans forearm. "First blood," he called out. "Do you yield?"

"Hah!" Phoenix cried. "There is no yielding in the Phoenix's Ascension. Death is the test of it."

Harry swallowed hard. He had never had to kill a man like this…in the hot blood of a fight. Vampires and ghouls were different. They were already undead, feeding on the young blood of helpless innocents but to kill another _human_. Could he do it? He circled his opponent warily once more. _If I do not kill him, he will kill me but can I face Ginny with the blood of another human being on my hands?_ It was the thought of dying and never seeing Ginny again however, that steeled his resolve.

Harry blinked as he lost track of his opponent. One moment, he had been fighting him head to head and the next, the man had simply disappeared. Harry knew better than to let his guard down and circled around slowly, taking in the entire clearing with careful observation. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his leg and the warm trickle of blood that signified a cut running down his calf. Harry could tell that the cut was not that deep and ignored it in favor of keeping his eyes focused on the happenings around him. Another sharp pain and a cut across his lower back joined the first.

_He's using magic now…_ Another cut across his thigh, this one was deep. Harry closed his eyes and let his magical senses see for him. _To the left!_ Harry dived forward and rolled under another cutting hex. He saw the slight shimmer of an invisibility spell and set upon it like a rabid wolf. Not allowing the man to get any time to start throwing spells again. _Have to finish this soon._ The cuts had been deeper than Harry thought and the blood loss was starting to make him slightly woozy.

Harry launched a complicated and extended series of sword strokes. The series must have been familiar to Phoenix, since it was one of the oldest, and its conclusion was inevitable. Phoenix may have known the sequence of strikes but the extended duel had taxed his endurance greatly and his final block was just too slow.

Harry's altered the last stroke and instead of a maiming strike to the head, his sword crunched cleanly through the light armor of Phoenix's chest. The man staggered briefly, folding over in the middle and coughing up a fountain of blood. Harry pulled his sword from his body swiftly and raised it in a salute. Phoenix's body toppled to the ground…dead.

Tears streamed down Harry's eyes as he cleaned his sword and sheathed it in its scabbard on his back. He crouched down next to the fallen man, grabbing his shoulder and turning him over. The man's eyes were wide with shock and Harry gently closed the eyelids.

Harry had never been a religious person but he felt the need to say something for this man he had known only briefly. Muttering a small prayer that he had once heard in church with the Dursley's, Harry found himself grieving for someone he had never even know. Letting a moment of silence pass, Harry wondered if this man had a family of his own. Had he let a wife behind? Was there going to be children wondering why there daddy wasn't coming home tonight? Harry froze at the thought of him being responsible for destroying a family. His hands began to shake and he forced the bile down his throat.

His attempts failed however and he quickly found himself heaving his stomach dry. "I'm so, so sorry." Harry was shaking badly, and he had to spit several times to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth. He managed to get to his feet and decided to do something with the body.

White fire enveloped Harry and a bright glowing ball of energy began to burn in his hands. Harry looked at Phoenix one last time. "Please forgive me," he whispered and let the ball fly. Phoenix's body erupted in fire and out of the flame; the form of a phoenix flew. He watched in awe as the fiery apparition flew around the clearing and in the background Harry heard a beautiful song rising up through the air. It soared around him, filling him with a comforting feeling. And Harry could almost hear Phoenix's voice among the phoenix song, forgiving him for what must have been done.

The bird stopped in front of Harry, flapping its wings slowly and staring intently at him. It must have found whatever it was looking for as a moment later; he gave out a cry of shock as the phoenix dived into his body. Flames surrounded Harry's body ripping at him, burning him, soothing him. The pain died and Harry floated there, in a column of flame, letting the flickering light wash over him and through him. A mass of information made its way into Harry's mind about the purpose and knowledge of the Phoenix of the Mages. It was intense but Harry endured and in a split second it was over.

Harry shook his head slightly. Everything he had just learned pertained towards the job he was to perform and he was thankful for that. He didn't know if he could handle his predecessor's personal memories without breaking down. It was ten minutes before Harry turned from the burning pyre. Looking at his armor and sword, Harry could see the same phoenix design that he had seen on those portraits in the armory many years back, was now etched onto his breastplate. The silver flowed across the metal, painting a beautiful design of a phoenix soaring into the heavens, calling out with its song. Shouldering his sword, Harry collected the rest of his weapons and teleported back to Phoenix Isle. Hoping that he would see Ginny once before he passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

Ginny paced around the living room of her Grandmothers house anxiously. Dazna and Cynthia watched on with a little worry themselves. It had been eight days since Harry had left for the Phoenix's Accession trail and he had yet to show up. It should have only taken at most seven days or three hours for him to finish but it had already been half an hour past that.

"Where can he be?" Ginny was wringing her hands worriedly. Harry's absence had driven a point home for Ginny. It had been five years since she had been separated from Harry by any amount of time and she was feeling his lack of presence intensely. The bond had put many things in focus for Ginny, while it had been a shock at first she found herself warming up to the idea quickly. She cared deeply for Harry and she knew that he felt the same.

It was strange to say the least at how she knew. Even now, with eight days to get used to the idea it was a bit…foreign...in how she could recall Harry's memories as quickly and as clearly as her own. She had years of abuse and ridicule at the hands of the Dursleys countered by the many nights she had spent with, well…herself. And looking at those memories were the ones she enjoyed the most. She knew that he too was glad that he had found her to be his soul mate and that one day they could continue on as husband and wife.

Already she had a few dresses picked out in her mind and ideas of places to hold it. It had been one of her dreams as a little girl to be a beautiful bride. Almost as much as she wanted to be a mother. One day, her Aunt Edna had come to the Burrow when Ginny was about eight years old. She had just given birth to Ginny's new cousin and, (if Ginny sat properly on the couch), they let her hold the wee babe. It had amazed her at how something so precious so cherished could be contained in such a small package. She knew then and there at that moment that more than anything else in the world that she wanted to be a mother one day. She wanted her baby to have a family like she did now.

And Harry would be meeting that family in the future. A far into the future was unknown but the fact that there would be such a meeting was not. Her brothers would be a problem, she knew that. Most brothers would be overprotective of their only sister but the Weasley's took it to new extremes. Ron, being closest…well relatively closest in age to her would lead the way for a beat down on Harry, Boy-Who-Lived or not. Bill and Charlie certainly had friends that would be glad to help out and the twins were terror born again. Then her father would also want to take a crack at the man who had meet his daughter and her mother would be right there by his side, in full righteous rage mode. Yes, the first family meeting would not be pleasant.

This was all assuming Harry was still alive of course. Ginny continued her pacing.

Cynthia watched the distraught girl for a moment longer before standing up. "Ginny," she said softly. "Look at me." She waited until she had Ginny's full attention. "Harry has been trained by the best to be the best. He will not fail in this mission if you just believe in him. Besides," Cynthia smiled brightly. "He promised you that he would return didn't he? And we all know that Harry always keeps his promises."

Ginny frowned, it was true that Harry was a man of his word but he was in a situation that he had never been in before. For the twentieth time that day, she tried to trace him trough their bond to see if everything was all right.

The separate time dimensions seemed to do funny things to their connection. During the last week, Ginny had only felt him one or two times and that was only briefly. Just this morning she had awaken at his feeling of dread. Dread for what? She didn't know. But she did know that he had at least been alive earlier.

"I know, Grandma," Ginny replied. "It's just so hard without him here by my side."

Cynthia enveloped her in a hug. "It always is when our loved ones leave us dear. But when they return it is the greatest feeling in the world."

"I just wish that I could be held in his arms at least one more time."

"Well…" A voice behind her said softly. "I think I can give you at least that wish."

Ginny gasped as she felt the connection come back as strong as ever and whirled around to come face to face with he husband to be. "Harry!" she cried out and dove into his arms. He stumbled slightly at the force of her hug but quickly regained his balance and pulled her even tighter to him. Ginny sobbed in his chest, unheeding of the blood, and Harry muttered soothing words to her, rocking her back and forth. Ginny's sobs of happiness broke and she snuffled a few more times before she had control over herself once more.

She pulled her head up from Harry's chest and looked into his eyes. "Is it really you?" she asked.

Harry brushed a wisp of hair from her face and smiled gently at her, "Of course it's me, unless of course, you've gone and gotten yourself another link while I was gone."

"Oh Harry," Ginny buried herself in his embrace once more.

"Goddess, Harry…" Harry looked up to see Dazna and Cynthia looking at him. They were both staring intently at the Silver phoenix design that stretched across the breastplate of his armor. Then, they did something he would never expect. Crossing one arm over their chest in a salute, they both dropped to one knee and bowed their heads, "My Lord," the said in unison. "I pledge myself to the protection and will of Milord Phoenix. My life before his." They both said this with the utmost respect and a note of awe could be heard in their voices.

Shocked as he may have been, Harry was not frozen in inaction. He gently disengaged himself from Ginny and limped over to the two elders. "Cynthia, Dazna," he said softly. The knelling mages looked up at their newly pledged Lord. "Please stand up." They slowly rose to their feet and as they stood Harry dropped into a bow of his own. "It is I who should be pledging to you. Without your help and care these past years I would have never made it tonight, I want you both to know that should you ever have need, I will deliver."

Dazna and Cynthia said nothing. What could one say to the promises that had just been made? As if on some unspoken agreement all four of the room's occupants smiled brightly at one another. They had just formed a link as family that transcended any blood ties and relations. In the time to come Harry and Ginny, Cynthia and Dazna would be an unbeatable team in all their adventures.

"So," Dazna said with a laugh. "How did you do?"

Harry's face briefly clouded over with grief but he quickly got a hold of himself. His lapse didn't go unnoticed by Ginny however and she suddenly noticed the state Harry was in. "Oh my Goddess, Harry! Look at yourself. We are getting you to the hospital right now."

Harry was about to wave off the issue when he saw the look of determination in Ginny's eyes. He knew that there would be no arguing over this point and truth be told he was starting to feel very light headed. "Okay," he said. "Let's go." And with Ginny helping him and Dazna and Cynthia following behind, Harry made his way to the hospital with his new family.

* * *

For the last two years of Harry and Ginny's stay they were taught everything they needed to know about military tactics and about hiding their true powers and age in the wizarding world. The lessons weren't really that hard but Harry found the different aspects of the wizarding culture to be fascinating. It was amazing how separated they were from the rest of the world. Even mages had assimilated with the changing times. Harry's house was proof to this fact. He had several muggle appliances littered throughout his home, including a stereo, television, and VCR. Harry was rather taken to the music of Pink Floyd and one could constantly find it playing on his stereo.

The relationship between Harry and Ginny astounded everyone they meet. As they spent even more time together, their bond grew even stronger and many times they appeared to communicate without words. One such incident after almost made Dazna and Cynthia lose their minds:

Cynthia called out from the open front door, "Dazna?"

"In here Cynthia," he was currently sitting on Harry's couch, flipping through several channels finally settling for a baseball game. Cynthia walked in the front door and sat next to Dazna, letting out an explosive breath.

"Long day at work?" Dazna chuckled slightly at the obvious answer.

Harry passed by the room looking at the two on the couch, he turned towards the kitchen and called out, "Ginny, your Grandma just arrived. I'm going to put the wash away and then I'll finish up dinner so you can talk." Cynthia did not allow Ginny to stay in Harry's house yet but more often than not she could be found here doing something or another.

Ginny walked out of the kitchen, whipping her small hands on a dish towel as she went. Harry gave her a loving smile as he went into the kitchen. "Hello Grandma," she said brightly. "How was your day?"

"It was…difficult, but before I tell you about that could I eat here tonight? I am too tired to make a real dinner."

Ginny got a faraway look in her eyes and seemed to think for a bit. Harry popped his head in from the kitchen. "We've got plenty Ginny, go ahead and talk."

Ginny smiling softly looked over her shoulder. "Thank you Harry".

Cynthia and Dazna looked from one to the other, wondering how Harry knew what was going on. Cynthia was telling them about the long day she had when Harry came back in with a couple of drinks. "Here you guys go, it's hot out today." Ginny took her drink and thanked Harry before turning back to Cynthia's story.

It wasn't long until they were all getting hungry and Dazna called out to Harry, "How much longer until dinner is ready, Harry? I'm starving out here."

It wasn't Harry's voice that answered though as Ginny instantly responded, "It'll be about five more minutes Dazna. You should go wash up; I'm going to see if he needs any help." And with that she stood and walked into the kitchen. Dazna merely shrugged at the couple's odd behavior and went to do as instructed.

Once he returned he saw Cynthia staring at the dining room with a look of astonishment on her face. Dazna turned to see what she was staring at and found himself to be just a flummoxed as Cynthia. Harry was setting the table when Ginny called out, "Knives coming right up, Harry."

"Thank you Ginny," Harry called back. Ginny brought out the knives and started placing them on the table. "What do you want to drink, Ginny?" She didn't say anything but Harry continued on. "One iced tea coming up." The two continued on like this for several moments for all intents and purposes appearing to only have half of a conversation yet seemingly understanding it all.

Finally Dazna couldn't take anymore and shouted out, "How are you doing that?"

Harry chuckled at the memory. It had taken quite a while to explain to the two elders that it was all just part of the bond. Quite a useful part as well. It was moments like these however that focused Harry's mind on how much an integral part of his life Ginny had become. And if it was up to him, she would continue to stay that way for the rest of their lives, which brought him to where he was today.

He looked up at the shopkeeper and pointed to one of the rings in a glass case, "I'll take that one."

* * *

Ginny ate her dinner slowly as she watched Harry fidget across from her. She smiled reassuringly at him; she could feel his nervousness from the bond for the last few days now though she was bewildered to the cause. They didn't go out to fancy restaurants like this often but he had always been relaxed and carefree before. What could be different about this time?

"How's your pasta, Harry?" she tried to get the ball rolling.

Harry jerked as if she had startled him from something, "Wha- oh, umm it's good. How about yours?"

Ginny giggled softly, "Mine's good." She looked around at the various other people eating around. There were some couples but most of the patrons were families. They continued making small talk for a bit before Harry sat his fork down and pushed his plate in. "What's the matter, Harry?" Ginny asked seeing that his plate was still half full. "Aren't you hungry."

Harry shook his head, "I have to do something first." He took a deep breath and let only half of it out. Ginny put her fork down and gave Harry her full attention. "Ginny," he began softly. "For the first eleven years my life was not a good one. I was raised by relatives that hated me and used every excuse they could to beat me. I didn't know anything about a real family or love." Ginny opened her mouth to say something but Harry stopped her. "That all changed when I met you.

"It's been seven years since we meet and two since we found out that we are soul mates. Those have been seven years that I wouldn't trade for anything. You have taught me how to love Ginny. I love everything about you, your intelligence, your personality, your hair…everything Ginny and as soul mates I know that we are meant to be together. Everyone on Phoenix Isle knows it but that's not enough." Harry stood up from his chair and walked around to her side.

Ginny's hand flew to her mouth as she watched Harry kneel down on one knee and grab her free hand. "Ginny," he said with all his love in his eyes. "I want the whole world to know about how I feel for you." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black box. He opened it and held it out to her. "Ginevra Weasley, would you do me the greatest honor and become my wife?"

Ginny opened her mouth to speak several times but no sound came out. Tears streamed down her face and as she looked at Harry smiling gently at her she felt all her love for him come forward in full force. "Yes!" she burst out. "Oh Goddess, yes! I love you Harry." And she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him full on the lips. Time stopped for the two of them and for a moment there was naught but the other. It was then that Ginny dimly noted the sound of clapping coming from all around them.

Harry broke the kiss and looked around. Apparently they had put on quite the show and the patrons of the restaurant were cheering and clapping wildly. Harry pulled the ring from the box and slid it on Ginny's hand gently. She kissed him again and the two sat back down to finish their diner grinning broadly. More than one patron came over and wished the happy couple good wishes before the night was over.

* * *

**(Just a quick little note, make certain that you read the notice at the bottom of this chapter. Thank you.)**

He could hear the melodic bird's notes even over the scream of his opponent as he thrust his sword deeply into his chest. Harry watched as the man toppled over dead, but not yet dead. "This is all that you will bring…death," the still alive corpse growled at him. Harry felt his own blood flowing from his wounds. He staggered backwards in the chill night with the blood flowing from one side warming him.

"Harry," It was Dazna's voice and the hand shaking him was firm. Harry, wake up. You're having a nightmare again.

Harry opened his eyes. He was sweating profusely.

"The same one?" Dazna asked. Harry nodded and sat up in bed.

Dazna's face was creased with a broad grin. "I thought it might have been a different one," he said. "This is your wedding day after all. Bridegrooms always have bad dreams on the night before their weddings. It's sort of tradition like."

"Did you have a nightmare when you got married?"

"Oh yes," Dazna laughed. "I was running in the desert, something was chasing me you see and I kept running for the ocean so I could escape. The only problem was that someone kept moving the damn water further and further away. Do you want breakfast now or should I give you a shave first?"

"I can shave myself, Dazna," Harry replied indignantly.

"That wouldn't be the best of ideas today. Hold out your hand, Lad." Harry held out his right hand, it was visibly trembling. Dazna smirked slightly, "That would definitely be a bad idea."

"What time is it?"

"About a half hour after dawn. Get up Harry; you've got a full day ahead of you. Now which is it going to be, your breakfast or your shave?"

* * *

All of Phoenix Isle turned out for the wedding. Harry and Ginny were both very well liked and had made many friends during their years here. There was one church one the island and though neither Harry our Ginny had any religious convictions they were to hold the ceremony there. It had been no surprise when Ginny had asked Cynthia to be her lady in waiting and Harry asked Dazna to be best man. Harry didn't know where the two ladies were but he and Dazna sat in a little side chamber of the main church.

"Don't do that, Harry," Dazna told him.

"Do what?"

"Don't keep pulling at the neck of your shirt like that, you'll rip it."

"The tailor cut it way too tight," Harry complained. "It feels like a noose." Dazna didn't say anything; he did give Harry an amused look though.

The door to the room was opened suddenly and Kyle poked his head in. It had surprised Harry when he learned that Kyle was going to direct the ceremonies. It appeared that the man could do anything. "Are we ready?" the old mage asked.

"Let's get this going," Harry grunted.

"Our bridegroom grows impatient, I see," Kyle said. "Now, the traditional wedding theme is going to be played and when they finish, you Dazna, can escort him up to the altar. Please don't let him run away, that always seems to disrupt things for some reason." He chuckled wickedly and closed the door.

"That is a very mean old man," Harry grated.

"Oh I don't know," Dazna chuckled. "I sort of like him." A bright sound filled the air, filled with joy. The wedding hymn was an old one and easily recognizable by many. As the last notes died away Dazna opened the door with a flourish and Harry began to walk up towards the altar. A brief and most likely inappropriate thought flashed across Harry's mind as he compared his escort to the altar with the escort of a man to the gallows.

"Ah," Kyle greeted them as the stopped in front of him. "It's so good of you to join us, Harry." Harry didn't actually trust himself to answer the man. He did notice that all his friends seemed to view his discomfort as a humorous event.

After a small pause, in which all the attendants turned to look at the back of the church, craning their necks and some even standing up to get a clear view. The processional started up and the bridal party emerged from the door way. A lady that Ginny had befriended made her way up the isle spreading flower petals on the flower and immediately afterwards came Cynthia. Her gown was of a deep royal blue and seemed to lack any seems. It was fastened with two silver jewels at the shoulders and a long silver chain caught it below her chest, ran around the women's back, encircled her waist, and hugged her hips in an intricate knot leaving the excess to fall almost to the floor. Her smooth flawless arms were bare of all adornment save a bracelet of silver lace work that hung on her right wrist.

Again there was another pause and Ginny emerged from the doorway for all to view her, not so much as a woman – but as a work of art. Her gown was made of white satin with silver undertones throughout the entire dress. Her sleeves were cut back to hang loosely at her sides and a silver sheen glowed from the insides of the cuffs. A wide belt of silver mesh was wrapped around her petite waist and a long flowing cape of white hung from her shoulders to trail be hind her. There was a single white rose clasped between her delicate hands and her elfin face was radiant.

Harry's heart had quite nearly stopped by the time she had reached the altar by his side and would have quit breathing all together if Dazna hadn't rather roughly nudged him in the side. As if spurred into action, Harry gently took Ginny's hand in his own and they both turned to face the altar and the beaming Kyle.

Kyle spoke to the people in the church, at some length, about the sanctity of marriage and the meaning it had on two people's lives. He spoke of the "bond" that these two would now share and told them to be faithful to one another. Harry was not particularly paying much attention to what Kyle was saying as his attention was focused on the red-haired beauty that held his hand. As he looked back on the events that led him to this moment he realized that he would not have changed a single thing and would never look back on this day with regret.

He remembered to speak his lines when Kyle asked him to swear loyalty, happiness, and all worldly possessions to Ginny. And he didn't even fumble too much when it came time to place the ring on Ginny's finger. Kyle finally declared that Harry and Ginny were permanently, irrevocably, unalterably, and definitively man and wife. He then gave Harry permission to kiss the bride.

Kissing in public was an awkward thing but for the two love struck individuals there was no public and the kiss was spectacular for the both of them. Harry looked deeply into Ginny's eyes and said straight from the heart, "I love you Ginny, now and forever. I'm yours."

Ginny smiled and said with just as much conviction, "I love you too Harry, now and forever." She then smiled an impish little smile. "You are _mine_ now." Harry laughed and then, led by Cynthia and Dazna the married couple left the church amidst the cheers.

* * *

There was a wedding supper that followed the ceremony but neither Harry nor Ginny remembered any of it. They did know that it seemed to last endless centuries and finally, between one of the well-wishers and the next Dazna called a halt to the festivities saying that anyone wishing to stay could but it was time for the married couple to be…ahem, on their way.

The master bedroom of Harry's house had already been prepared for the extra occupant. Harry had added a small porch on the outside of the house and the large double doorway leading out was left open to let the warm summer heat circulate through the house.

"Finally," Ginny said as she walked into the room ahead of Harry. "I thought all of that was going to go on forever."

"Yes," Harry agreed.

"Harry," she said then, and her tone was a worried one he had never heard from her before. "Do you really love me? Did you marry me just because you felt obligated by the bond?" Her voice was trembling and her eyes very vulnerable.

"You're asking silly questions, Ginny" Harry replied. "I will always love you, bond or no bond. I've never loved anyone else, and I never will." He held her in his arms and as she looked into his eyes she could see the truth and love of his words shining through. Then he kissed her and her body seemed to melt against his.

The kiss lasted for quite a while and after a few moments she felt one hand slide up her back and unclasp her cape. She pulled back and looked into his eyes as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. The porch door was open and a night breeze billowed the gauzy white curtain, carrying in the lapping sounds of the lake. Harry and Ginny did not feel the breeze, and the only sound they heard was the beating of each other's hearts.

The lights were no longer on but the room was not dark. The moon, a full one, had risen over the horizon and filled the night with its pale, silver luminescence. The sky was clear of clouds and not even crickets were up at this time of the night. It was very late, or rather very early. Harry had closed his eyes briefly but his moon drenched wife had woken him. "No sleeping," she said. "I'll only have one wedding night with you and you're not going to waste it by sleeping."

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "It was a busy day."

"And a busy night." She added with an arch little smile. She nestled down into his arms and gave a content little sigh. "This is nice," she said. "We should have gotten married years ago."

"I don't think Kyle would have allowed that. And even though we had the bond your Grandmother would certainly protest."

Ginny slid from out underneath the covers and padded across the room to the open porch doors. The thin curtain that hung from them seemed to part for her as she stepped out into the summer night. "Aren't you going to put something on?" Harry asked. "You're exposing yourself for all to see."

"Everyone on this island is asleep by now and even then no one can see us because your house is surrounded by trees."

Harry crawled out of bed and joined her out on the porch. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered softly into her ear, "Our house, Love. Our house." Ginny shivered. "Your cold," Harry accused.

"No," Ginny said breathlessly and she turned around and gave Harry the deepest most passionate kiss she ever had and it took Harry's breath away. He looked in her eyes and saw the raw passion, the dark lust burning in them as one kiss became several and the night passed without any more talk.

* * *

**Added Author's Note: **

** I thought that I had already done this but someone notified me of my error. When I wrote this chapter, David Eddings, who is by far my favorite author of all time, had just published the first book to a new series of his, _The Elder Gods_. I already own all his books and rushed out to get this new one. If you like the scene, go read his series…all of them! The ending of this chapter is my veneration to one of the greatest authors of all time…well I think so.**

* * *


	4. Chapter Four

* * *

Posted: October 12, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Four

Ginny pulled the bacon off the stove and proceeded to set the table. It had been three months of absolute bliss for Ginny since the day she got married. Harry was every bit the loving and caring husband that she had imagined him to be and she couldn't wish for any more. She looked out the kitchen window to see Harry practicing his sword forms and a smile crept onto her face as she watched him.

The seven years of training that both of them had gone through instilled some habits in them that they could not break. One of Harry's was waking up just before dawn everyday to practice. Ginny herself often woke up at this time during training but now that she had the option of sleeping past sunrise she took full advantage of it. She had never really been a morning person. Today however, she was up with sun just as Harry was.

Harry and Ginny's time at Phoenix Isle had come to an end.

Today would be their last day at Phoenix Isle until they had completed their Hogwarts education. It tore at Ginny's heart to be separated from Harry that long but she knew they would see each other during this time. Not even hell itself could prevent them from being together. They had to keep up appearances however, and this was standard practice anyways.

All mages made sure that they could live their life outside of Phoenix Isle. While it was possible to live your entire existence on the Island most people had family, and families did not live there. So an education was one of the things everybody got. Even though they knew more about magic and fighting than most they needed the degree so…they got it. In fact, many mages decided to take a muggle education as well. Their theories and ideas of physics and natural laws had led the way for more than one charm being created.

Besides, it wasn't like they were short on time. The average mage life span was somewhere around 500 years. Warrior Mages lived beyond even that. This came from the control they had over their body's energies. The more control and power one had the longer they lived. This was also why wizards lived longer than most, as they required at least some control of their internal energies to perform many of their spells.

One way or another though, Harry and Ginny had to go to school so Dazna was coming by for breakfast and to brief them on what they would be doing. Ginny heard the back door open and Harry walked into the kitchen, his sword strapped to his back.

"Something smells delicious," he said, walking up behind Ginny as she pulled the eggs of the burner. Ginny turned to look at him as he eyed her up and down. "Something looks delicious too."

Ginny gave him and mischievous smile, "See something you like, Mr. Potter?" She stepped closer to him.

Harry nodded his head and responded in kind, "It looks positively divine, Mrs. Potter."

Ginny felt her heart race as Harry called her that. It still sent a thrill down her spine every time she heard those words. She leaned in and gave her husband a deep kiss before stepping back and wrinkling her nose. "First," she said. "You need a shower, and then you can come eat breakfast."

Harry's eyes brightened, "Followed by some desert maybe?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Ginny used her spatula to smack him lightly on the arm. "Control yourself," she replied giggling. "Dazna's coming over for breakfast and it won't do to have him walk in on us after we've cleared the table of other dishes."

"We could always lock the door on him…"

"Shower…now…" Ginny pushed him out of the kitchen.

"Fine, fine," Harry threw his hands up in the air. "I know when I'm not needed."

Ginny laughed at his antics and turned back to breakfast. Dazna would be coming soon. "Hello?" A voice called out from the living room. "Are you guys up yet?"

_Speak of the Devil…_Ginny wiped her hands off on her apron. "In here, Dazna," she called out to the elder mage.

Dazna came into the room with a small box under his arm and several files in his hand. He sat the files down on the table and walked over to where Ginny was standing. "Ah! How are you on this fine day, Ginny?" he asked jovially. "I see that we will be in a treat for breakfast this morning. Your skills in the culinary arts are second to none." He dodged around her attempts to stop him and nabbed a piece of bacon. "Tasty," he said munching on his stolen bacon.

"Oh you," Ginny laughed. She always enjoyed talking to Dazna. He had such an upbeat look at things in life and he never failed to cheer her up. Unfortunately, she could tell that she was going to need a lot of cheering today.

Dazna pulled the box from underneath his arm and handed it to her. "This is a little gift from me to you and Harry. Speaking of which, where is your wayward husband?"

"You didn't have to get us anything Dazna." Ginny exclaimed taking the package from Dazna. She turned and placed it on the counter remembering to take a look at it later. "Harry's taking a shower. He will be done in a little bit. Would you like some coffee?"

Dazna waved his hand, "No thank you, my dear. I was never able to acquire the taste for that brew myself."

"Oh, some tea then perhaps?"

"Don't trouble yourself on my account."

"Nonsense," Ginny said, pouring a cup of tea from the kettle on the stove. "It's no trouble at all, besides you're our guest. And we Potters pride ourselves on our hospitality." Indeed, in the few short months that they had been married, Harry and Ginny had acquired a reputation of always having an open door. There was always a kettle on the stove and anybody could stop by for a cup of tea or some other drink and visit with the Potters. Ginny had made a few adjustments to the house when she moved in and though the house had been friendly before, it was infinitely more warm and inviting after her changes.

Their neighbors would often pass by and see Ginny working in the kitchen garden while Harry would be repairing one thing or another around the house. Both proficient mages, they enjoyed doing their work by hand over using their magic. When asked why, they would simply shrug and say that it was more worthwhile to them to do it the muggle way. And it was, Ginny took great pride in her garden and when her first carrots had sprouted she was ecstatic to know that it came from her hard work. It made her home seem much more like _her_ home.

Ginny handed the cup of tea to Dazna with a smile. He took the cup with a thank you and sipped at it gently. He raised an eyebrow at the taste. "Green tea?" he asked inquiringly.

"Sorry," Ginny replied. "It's the only tea we have left. We won't be back in this house for quite a while and we didn't want to buy more food and have it go to waste." Ginny made sure to have all types of different foods and drinks in their house in case anybody ever stopped by. Mages came from all over the world and not everybody liked coffee. It was fun to talk to them though. English was the main language on the Island but Harry and Ginny had taken it upon themselves to learn several of the other major languages so they could communicate better with the other inhabitants. It might even come in handy on a mission one day.

"I see," Dazna replied and sipped at his tea some more.

"Ah, Dazna!" Dazna jumped nearly a foot in the air and turned to face the noise. There stood Harry not two feet behind him and looking rather apologetic. "Oops, sorry about that." Harry chuckled.

Dazna clutched at his beating heart. "Goddess Harry, don't scare me like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Dazna prided himself on being able to hear when other people were coming. Harry and Ginny however were the best he had ever trained and moved without sound. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem because Dazna was a highly trained war mage and if he couldn't hear he was almost always able to sense the presence of someone coming near. But they had developed a technique that allowed them to control what sort of natural and magical energies they were emitting. That made it almost impossible for Dazna to ever be able to tell when they were around.

"Well if you would pay more attention to your surroundings I wouldn't surprise you like that. Maybe your hearing is going bad in your old age. I mean you're what…two hundred and thirty now? That's getting up there in years, old man."

"Insolent whelp," Dazna responded. "I may be two hundred years older but I can still beat on you."

Harry snorted, "Please, you couldn't lay a hand on me, old man. Your arthritis would act up in the middle of the fight."

Ginny giggled softly at the two men in her life. She may have six older brothers and parents but Harry was _her_ husband and Dazna was _his _surrogate father. That made them family and Ginny loved all of her family. "Harry, Dazna that is enough. Now go sit at the table and I'll be in with the rest of breakfast. Now shoo!" She waved her hands in sweeping motion, ushering the men out of the kitchen.

Dazna looked at Harry as they were pushed out of the kitchen. "A little imperious isn't she?" he asked.

Harry laughed, "You have no idea."

It only took a moment for Ginny to come back out with the plate of eggs and once she sat down the three began to eat a very tasty breakfast. After the dishes were cleared, they sat around the table, Harry and Ginny nursing cups of coffee while Dazna had his tea. "So what's going to happen?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

Dazna put his tea down and handed both Ginny and Harry a folder while opening the last one himself. "In one month Harry, you will be entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a first year student. Ginny, you will be returning home to stay with your mother. You both will have to maintain the illusion of eleven year olds including all actions and growth that goes with the territory. Pretty straight forward.

"Now here is were things get a little complicated. You two are the youngest full warrior mages in history, not only that but you are our captains so we have decided to take steps. In Hogwarts, we currently have three mages stationed and they will report to you and provide you protection." Harry and Ginny opened their mouths to protest but Dazna raised his hand to stop them. "It's the way things are. Cynthia and I always have an escort when we leave Phoenix Isle too; it comes with the territory of high rank."

Dazna could see that they didn't like it but that was just plain tough. He was not about to have the two most promising mages he had ever seen get hurt just because some punk kid got lucky. Besides, they were family and he'd be damned before he let something happen to them.

"Now then," he continued with a sigh. "Normally we don't let the other mages know who each other are but this occasion calls for a change in some of the rules. We have decided to make you an official unit, Harry you are the Squad leader with Ginny and the other three mages falling under your command." He motioned for them to open their folders. There were personnel files of his three agents stacked on top of each other inside them. There was also a detailed map of the Hogwarts grounds including all of the secret passages and a list of the current passwords for all the rooms, as well a detailed roster of the current student body and staff. Dazna was a high believer of good intelligence and would often wait until he knew the first names of all his enemies before acting.

"The man on top is Cedric Diggory also known as 'Rock.' He's been on Phoenix Isle for the last fifteen years and is returning to his third year in Hogwarts. You'll find a picture of his current illusion under his dossier." Harry flipped up the cover sheet and looked at the picture. Cedric was fairly tall with broad shoulders and grey eyes.

"He holds the rank of Lieutenant and is a master swordsman. There are very few warrior mages that can fight as well as he can, his energy attacks leave room for improvement though. He was sorted into the Hufflepuff, is a respectable member and a good student. He will be expressly guarding you Harry." Dazna paused here to see what Harry had to say.

Harry read over the man's file briefly. _Looks to me that he will be okay._ He thought. He could think of several worse people to guard him. _Trained by Jill…that's a relief._ Harry knew that Jill was a competent teacher and from what the file said it appeared that Cedric was a model student and picked up on her teachings quickly. "Okay," Harry said. "Who's next?"

Dazna sat aside his papers on Cedric and Harry and Ginny did the same. "This is Lieutenant Commander Katie Bell."

Ginny interrupted, "Bell? As in the Bells that live about a mile or two from the Burrow? As in the Katie Bell that kept Harry occupied while leaving me alone to fight Jill and subsequently loose to grandma? That Bell?"

"Yes," Dazna nodded chuckling to himself. It had been almost two years since the fight but Ginny still brought it up from time to time…it was a bit of a sore spot for her. "That Bell. We like to call her 'Shadow.' Next to you two, she is the youngest mage we have, inducted just before you, Ginny. She is assigned to protect Ginny specifically. Given her close proximity to your house should help prevent anything from happening while she is there. She is a second year Hogwarts student and her specialty is stealth." Dazna took a drink of his tea. "There's a very good reason we call her Shadow, she can move about the darkness and attack almost as well as you can Harry. She is absolutely ruthless when it comes to her enemies and those who threaten her friends. A wizard made a rather rude comment to her friend Angelina one time and the poor fool found he self pinned to the side of a wall courtesy of Katie's knives."

Nodding, Harry remembered his own bout with Katie during that test. He felt better knowing that Ginny was going to be in good hands. Shadow warriors like Katie tended to be rather direct in dealing with threats. Plus, they knew all the ways to attack someone without notice and the people that went after Ginny wouldn't be nice and leave their card at the door.

"Good. Now the last person there is Julia Sinistra. She has been my inside source of Hogwarts for many years now and is the astronomy teacher there." Dazna smiled slightly, "It works out very well actually, she loves her job and it doesn't take much work for her to get any information I need. The password list is from her so you can thank her when you get there." Dazna looked at Harry intently. "Pay attention to what information she gives you Harry, She is very good at what she does, I trained her in that task myself."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this. Dazna was the number one spymaster of all the mages. He had the perverse ability to sneak into any locked room, get the exact intelligence that he needed and get back out without anyone ever finding out. If Dazna personally trained Julia than she must be good at her craft. "I'll remember that," he said to the elder.

"Good," Dazna nodded. "Now, as a teacher she'll be able to make your life a little easier while you're in Hogwarts but don't abuse the privilege."

Harry and Ginny grinned widely. "Now Dazna," Ginny admonished. "Are you insinuating that we might use our position to get…shall we say slightly 'inflated' grades in her class?"

"No," Dazna shook his head. "I'm not insinuating Ginny I'm flat out accusing. Don't get me wrong Ginny, I know that you wouldn't do something like that but let's face the facts, you married Harry here and he's not the type to inspire trust on this aspect."

"Be nice," Harry murmured.

"I am being nice," Dazna said. "I didn't say anything to your face." Dazna and Ginny laughed at the expression on Harry's face.

"Can we get back to this please?" he grunted a little sourly.

"Ahh," Ginny said. "Did we hurt little Harry's feelings. Well let me kiss it and make it better." And she leaned over the table and gave Harry a lingering kiss on his lips. "Better now?"

"I think I might need one more," Harry said hopefully.

Dazna laughed out loud, "Not now children." He calmed down and looked back to his folder. "Pay attention to this now. There have been rumors flying around and my sources tell me that Dumbledore is moving something to the school that may bring some unwanted attention so Harry, be on your guard. Whatever he his bringing in could be dangerous. We haven't been able to identify what the object is yet but we are getting closer. Be careful."

Harry nodded, "I will."

"Good, other than that there isn't anything else that I can think of that is that important. Just make sure you read those files and make sure you know a way out of the castle incase things turn sour. There are some very strong wards over that school and they don't react well to people trying to teleport through them." Dazna pushed his chair out from the table and stood up. "Well then that's everything. Cynthia and I will be by tomorrow to see you off. Make sure you pack everything you need."

Harry followed suit and stood up, Ginny right beside him. "All right then," Ginny said. "You take care and we'll see you tomorrow." They walked him to the front door and wished him well before turning back into the house. She looked at Harry, "Are you all packed dear?"

Harry shook his head in the negative, "I can't take anything with me. The Dursley's would never let me have anything of my own but I'll be fine. Once I get my letter and school supplies Dazna said he'd bring over my armor and clothes, until then I'll just have to make due. Are you all packed?"

"Yes," Ginny said. "I just threw together a duffle bag this morning."

"Well then," Harry sighed and stretched his arms high above his five and a half foot frame. "I guess I'll go practice some more then." He turned and got ready to go back outside when something tackled him from behind.

"Oh no you don't," Ginny growled as she sat atop her husband's chest. "This is our last day together and I'm not going to let you ruin it by practicing all day."

"Then what do you suppose we should do?" Harry asked a large grin hidden in his voice.

Ginny smile was almost feral, "I suppose I could think of something…" She leaned down to her lover and gave him a fervent kiss which he responded to in kind and any other plans they might have had for that day were put on hold.

* * *

It was a bright and beautiful weekend morning. The birds were singing cheerful songs, the sun was shining brightly, and a summer wind was blowing lightly bringing the smell of flowers on its whispering winds. All in all it was perfect day to be alive.

Ginny hated every minute of it. She thought rather bitterly that it would be just like the world to mock her on this horrible day. If it was up to her, the weather would be much gloomier to reflect her mood. Maybe a thunder cloud here and there but definitely no sun.

"Do you have everything?" Cynthia's voice cut through Ginny's moping like a knife through butter. Ginny gave a little glare her way but Cynthia ignored it. She reluctantly gave in.

"Yes Grandma," Ginny replied her shoulders sagging.

"There now," Ginny felt Harry's arms wrap around her from behind. "Is my lovely wife depressed? I would have thought that after three months married to me you would have been itching to get away." Harry joked with a wry little smile. Ginny could tell that he was trying to make her feel better and was glad for his attempts, futile as they were; for they gave her a warm feeling in knowing that he cared for her. She could feel the reassurance he was giving her through their bond and marveled at he husband's strength. Ginny knew that he wished that this didn't have to happen as much as she did but he was making certain that she would be okay. She drew on his strength and stood a little straighter in his arms.

"I'll be okay," she said. "I just really wish that we didn't have to do this."

"Neither do I but it will only be a year. We will survive, we have to survive." Harry tightened his arms around his beloved. Dazna and Cynthia had talked to him about how hard this would be on Ginny. It was hard on Harry too but, as Cynthia had pointed out, females were generally much more emotional than males and this would be very difficult for his young wife.

"Ginny," Cynthia said lightly. "It's time to go." Ginny and Cynthia were going to teleport back to Cynthia's house and then make their way back to Ginny's house the normal way. Well, normal for a wizard that is.

Ginny wiped away at some tears that had made their way down her cheeks. "Okay Grandma." She turned in Harry's arms and looked up to his face. "Promise to write me?" her voice was almost pleading.

"As often as I can without drawing suspicion," Harry promised. "Give me your hand." Ginny held her hand up and Harry took into both of his. She could feel him take the magic in his body and direct it into her wedding band. It pulsed slightly after he drew his hands away. She looked at the ring with a critical eye but try as she might she couldn't see anything different about it.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I did two things," Harry answered. "I made it invisible to everybody but you and me so you can keep wearing it. Then, I poured some of my magical essence into it. Anytime you start feeling lonely, just touch your ring and you should feel my magic comfort you. It's the best I can do without being there myself." Harry desperately hoped that this would help her get through this rough time.

Ginny touched the ring and felt Harry's comforting presence rush trough her. She smiled up at Harry. "Thank you, Love." She stood up on her toes and gave Harry a smoldering kiss to remember her by before turning and walking to her Grandma. She waved goodbye to Harry before teleporting out, not to speak to Harry for another year.

* * *

Harry sighed as the familiar surroundings of the cupboard materialized around him. It had been seven years since he had been in this closet and it seemed like a lifetime ago. Nine years ago he had asked Dazna to train him so his whale of a cousin couldn't beat on him so easily anymore. At the tender age of nine, Harry had no idea that in that moment his life changed in astounding ways. _For the good,_ Harry thought as he looked at the simple gold wedding band that adorned his left hand.

Harry quickly changed his mage uniform into a pair of Dudley's old cast offs. For the month and a half that he had been gone, a magical construct had taken Harry's place. Anybody with magical training of any kind could have instantly spotted the object but for the Dursley's it was a perfect cover. Harry checked a mirror to make sure that he had the proper illusion set up; it wouldn't do to have gone through all this trouble only to have Harry walk outside with his current eighteen year old body.

_Time to face the music,_ Harry opened the door to his closet and stepped into the kitchen to see the table filled with presents for Dudley. It was time to begin his act of life.

* * *

Harry pushed his cart through the crowded train station grumbling irritably. The source of his irritation was the wizarding world at large. _Do they just want to stay separate from everyone in the world forever?_ It was as if they didn't want muggle born witches and wizards finding their way to Hogwarts. _I'm I just supposed to know where this imaginary platform of nine and three quarters is? _Harry continued to rage silently. Is_ this just some sort of joke to them? 'Oh look there's the stupid muggle born all alone in the train station without a clue of what to do. Let's all laugh at him.'_

It was then that Harry heard a passing voice on the wind. "Packed with muggles, of course." Harry twisted to look at the origin of the voice as fast as he could. He caught a glimpse of a plump little woman followed by a gaggle of red headed children.

_Could it be…?_ Harry wondered. He quickly tried to follow them and fell in line behind the path they were making through the crowd. They stopped rather suddenly just outside of the ninth platform and Harry had to use a little more strength then necessary to stop his cart to avoid running into the redheaded boy in front of him. As his cart came to a complete stop he felt a small tug at his bond with Ginny and looked up.

As if just feeling it herself, the young redheaded girl standing next to the plump woman's side slowly turned around to face Harry. His heart jumped up to his throat. There standing not five meters in front of him was his beloved. Harry wished he could run over and take her into his embrace and never let go but he knew. He knew that the act must be maintained so he cleared his dry throat and spoke up, "Excuse me…"

* * *

Harry scanned the hall after sitting down at the Gryffindor table for the first time. _First things first, _he thought to himself. He quickly spotted the three mages in the school and gave them orders in the subtle hand code that all mages were taught. '_Meet me at the astronomy tower at midnight.' _He caught the confirmation signal and quickly settled into dinner.

The time flew by rather quickly and before he knew it Harry was making his way silently to the astronomy tower. Outside the door, Harry saw Cedric standing guard. As he approached Cedric snapped to a salute, his feet together, back ramrod straight, and right arm crossed across his chest leaving his balled fist to rest over his heart. "Sir," he said crisply. "Lieutenant Bell and I have completed our survey of the area and find it to be clean. There's no one spying on us, Sir."

Harry nodded his head towards Cedric, "Lead on Lieutenant." Cedric dropped the salute and lead Harry up the stairs. As he opened the door and walked in both Sinistra and Katie snapped to attention. Harry waved them off, "At ease." The two Lieutenants relaxed and sat back down at a round table that had been set with tea.

Harry sat down and Katie handed him a cup, he took a sip and looked at his three soldiers before starting the meeting. "Okay," he said. "This is my first time at Hogwarts, what am I walking into?" He listened patiently as each of his Lieutenants gave their report in turn. They told him about house rivalries and gave him a more personal look at each of the teachers. It took about forty minutes for them to finish the briefing.

"Alright then," Harry said. He turned to Sinistra. "I want you to deploy your information network. Hagrid brought something that is both very valuable and potentially dangerous on these grounds and I want to know what it is. I also want to know that if it comes to a fight over this object, whom can I trust?"

"I'll start tomorrow, Sir." Sinistra nodded.

"Good, Bell I want you to start training some Gryffindors to fight. Cedric, you too. Only your closest friends for know, leave others out of it." Harry looked around warningly at all of them. "I don't want anyone to know of my involvement and I absolutely don't want anyone to even hear of Ginny. She isn't protected very well by anybody right now and I want her safe, is that clear?"

The three saluted, "Yes, Sir!"

"Fine then," Harry continued. "You are dismissed. We will meet again within the month." Harry drank the last of his tea and waited for Katie to tell him that the hall was clear before departing.

* * *

Harry winced as Ron let out a particularly nasty remark about Hermione. Judging by the magic he could feel around them, Hermione was very close to them. "Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." Ron muttered snidely. "Honestly, Harry, she's _such_ a know-it-all! I don't know how anyone can stand her!" Harry really wished that Ron would get over this jealousy problem of his. It would make him a much nicer person to be around.

Just then someone brushed past the two in a hurry. Harry only caught a glimpse of watery cinnamon eyes and bushy brown hair before the person was around a corner and out of sight. "I think she heard you." Said Harry with his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

Ron snorted, "So what? She must realize she's not making any friends." But he looked rather uncomfortable.

_Good, _Harry thought. _He should feel guilty about that. It was a thoughtless thing to say._

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of his mind.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.

Harry had written to Ginny earlier today and was waiting eagerly for her response. It had been the first time he was able to send a letter to her with everything that was going on. It had pleased him to see that Dazna was correct when he was telling them about Katie, Cedric, and Sinistra. They did their jobs with speed and precision, though the item that Dumbledore had secreted away in the third floor corridor was still unknown, Sinistra promised that she was getting closer. Harry wasn't worried though, he had plenty of time.

He was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he cried, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element. "Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

Now Harry was worried, he knew exactly what types of wards were stationed all around the castle and he knew exactly what they were supposed to prevent. A troll making its way onto the grounds was one of these things. He glanced around and quickly caught Katie's eye. _'Stay with the students,' _he signaled. _'I'm going to see what's going on.' _She nodded reluctantly and Harry turned to Ron and make up some excuse when a thought flashed across his mind. _Hermione!_

"Come on, Ron." Harry said steering Ron away from the other first years. He would need someone to get her out if he came across the troll. Harry had no doubts that he could take down the beast if it came to it but that would mean revealing his position to Ron and that just wouldn't do. No the best bet would be to get Hermione out and let the teachers deal with the wandering troll. Sinistra would give him details later.

"Where are we going? Percy better not see us!" Run demanded, pulling back.

"We've got to go find Hermione. She doesn't know about the troll!" Ron frowned but didn't hesitate to continue following Harry. Harry let all his training come to the fore as he hurried down the halls. All excess movement ceased and his gait became like that of a predatory cat. His footsteps were silenced and his senses at full alert.

If Ron noticed any change in his friend, he didn't voice it, "Can you smell something?"

Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. And then they heard it – a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed – at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, and then slouched slowly into the room.

Harry noticed a flash of gold. "The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."

"Good idea." Ron whispered back.

Harry silently padded over to the door before jumping in a leap and slamming the door shut, turning the key in the lock as he went. Harry felt better knowing that the troll was locked up. This way there would be no danger to Hermione, and the professors could be called in to deal with the troll.

As they ran back down the hall, Harry's feeling of elation died out as a high petrified scream rang out through the hall. Harry didn't even pause, whirling around on his toe he ran full tilt back down the hall towards the frightened cries, not even caring that if Ron followed him or not. Harry didn't bother slowing down as he approached the locked door as he flared his aura, taking care to keep it out of the visual range, and blasted the door off of its hinges.

Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. Harry quickly erected a shield over the frightened girl and roared at Ron, "Draw it away from her!"

Harry rolled forward on his shoulder and came up beside Hermione. "Are you okay?" he asked the frightened girl. She seemed to be in shook but managed a feeble nod of her head. Harry took that as a good sign and turned his full attention to the troll; it was distracted by Ron's yelling and presented a nice target for Harry.

Hermione looked over at Harry as she heard a low growl come from his throat. Her look changed to one of deep astonishment as two daggers appeared in Harry's hands. Witch she may be, but Hermione was raised as a muggle and well aware of muggle fighting techniques. Even to her untrained eye, Harry looked very dangerous.

As Ron shouted and threw a large piece of rock at the troll Harry leaped forward, slamming one knife into the beast's kidney and twisting it as he pulled it free. Being humane was lost on Harry as innocents were threatened. He would use what ever he could to bring this troll down.

The troll howled in pain and fury as it brought the club around to see what had injured it. Harry looked to were Hermione was still standing, frozen in horror. "Come on," he yelled. "Run!" But she was unresponsive and Harry didn't have time to deal with that. He knew that the wound would kill the troll it was just a matter of how long it could go. The troll lifted its club and slammed into Harry, throwing him to one side.

Groaning Harry rolled back to his pressing one hand to his side. He felt one of his ribs shift and could feel the blood running freely down his side. _Shit,_ he thought. There was no avoiding it now, he would have to show his power if he wanted to end this quickly. The troll had focused on Hermione again and was advancing on her position.

Harry let his power flow freely, using it to enhance his movements and increase his strength. He dashed over to Hermione while Ron continued to pester the troll with small spells and rocks. "Let's go Hermione!" Harry yelled wrapping one arm about her waist to get her moving. The troll had other ideas however and it raised its club high above its head before smashing it down right in front of the two teenagers.

Time slowed for Harry as he saw the tile shrapnel hurling through the air. He had no doubt that it would kill them and from the look on Ron's face he knew it as well. But Ron was unaware of Harry's position as a mage. He raised one hand towards the flying rocks and created a dome of force around Hermione and himself. Time returned to normal as the rocks slammed against the shield and fell to the ground.

In an instant, Harry threw one dagger as straight as an arrow and pierced the troll right through the heart. The beast grunted and sat suddenly, looking at the foreign object sticking out of its chest. One last breath shuttered from its lungs as it departed the realm of the living.

Sighing in relief, Harry summoned his dagger back to him wiping it clean of blood before sheathing it. Ron made his way over to Harry and Hermione carefully, something akin to a look of awe on his face. "H-how…H-…What did you do?" the redhead stuttered.

"Nothing that you will remember," Harry replied and quickly cast a memory charm on his two friends. At that moment, several teachers ran into the bathroom, the noise of the battle having reached their ears. Sinistra took one look at Harry's condition and her face suddenly became filled with rage. The lieutenants took their jobs seriously and here, they had failed. Her spies had not told her of the troll and now their commander was hurt. She looked over at the troll and with a flick of her wand set the troll on fire in a raging inferno.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger," Sinistra looked at the tree students. If you would be as kind as to escort Mr. Potter to the hospital wing I'm sure he would like to get the wound looked at." She turned to her fellow teachers. "Flitwick, I will leave you to deal with this mess while Quirrell and I find out how this beast got her in the first place. Minerva, I am sure that you can report to the Headmaster on the current situation, yes?" McGonagall nodded slightly. "Good." And the astronomy teacher exited the bathroom, Quirrell stuttering along behind her.

* * *

Harry and Katie walked down the empty halls of Hogwarts side by side. At the early hour of 1:30, most of the castle was fast asleep and their progress was unimpeded. The dark suits of armor stood a vigil that seemed to caste a blanket of silence over every thing that they overlooked upon. Not even the scratching sound of an occasional rat was heard…nor was the passage of the two war mages.

Trained for years, the two that walked the castle hallways were two of the best shadow warriors to come out of Phoenix Isle. As such the minuscule sounds of passage and everyday life were far beneath them and looked upon with disdain. Their gait could not even be described as a walk for it was more like the noiseless gliding that was seen in the movement of ghosts. If it had not been for the obvious solidness to their bodies, a passing observer might even view them as such.

It was strange to see that they were both decked out in full mage uniform and fully armed. Both Harry's two and Katie's single silver bars that designated their rank gleamed in the moonlight. They strolled casually down the hallways of Hogwarts, as if walking down a school's hall armed to the teeth with all manner of swords, daggers, and knives was a common occurrence. While it may have been so during the times of the founders, it was not so anymore but these two were on an undertaking of fair importance.

_'Do you know what the creature was?' _ Katie signaled in the barely perceptible hand language that all war mages used. _'I would hate to hunt down this thing and find it to be some poor kneazel or niffler instead.'_

_ 'It was drinking unicorn's blood,'_ Harry signaled back. _'That should tell you all you need to know about it…this is no light creature.'_ The run in with the creature…person…whatever it was had unnerved Harry more than he'd like to admit. Drinking unicorn blood was a terrible thing to do, having dire affects on the well being of one's soul. Damning your very being to spend the rest of eternity in the heavy realm of the Goddess' wrath. Better to die than to spend time without end in hell.

What was worse, no none creature preyed on unicorns. The peaceful herbivores having no natural enemies that would behave in such a manner as Harry saw during his detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. That pointed to the most logical conclusion that whatever Harry had encountered out there was a person and Harry could think of very few people that would be willing to suffer the consequences of drinking unicorns blood in an effort to live a while longer.

Harry wanted none of them within a hundred miles of Hogwarts.

So came the reason for the two paramount shadow warriors in the world to be making their way through the school and to the main entrance. Whoever had been out there that night was probably still around…and Harry wanted him dead. Back tracking along the route Harry had gone last night, they hoped to be able to pick up its trail and hunt it down.

_'Remember,' _Harry signed, _'If you find it, no flashy moves, no trying to figure out who or what it is…just kill it.'_

Katie seemed to take it as an order and that suited Harry just fine. This wasn't a time for honorable battles or giving the underdog a chance. This was a time to murder. To kill without mercy and, despite other's objections, know that you are doing the right thing in doing so. The life of a warrior mage was not all glory and glamour. It was duty.

* * *

The broom swished across the creaking wood of the Burrow's front porch, stirring up faint clouds of dust in its wake. Ginny held the supple wood loosely in her hands, worn smooth by years of use. The evening was dying away and the sun was falling quickly behind the hills that dotted the landscape. It was her favorite time of the day, a time were she could just relax and forget the troubles of the day. The worries that crowded her thoughts would just melt away. It was one of the few times that she would let her guard down and stop being Ginevra Weasley, daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley, and just be Ginny. She'd gradually relaxed into a rhythm, allowing the gentle motion of the sweeping to take away whatever thoughts she might have.

She paused for a moment and wiped a hand across her forehead, smiling and flipping back a few bangs that dangled in front of her eyes. The cloud of dust she'd been stirring up in her wake settled to the ground. The sky above her darkened to many colors of red, gold, and orange – fireworks at the end of the day. The green grass on the hill seemed to glow an emerald green…a shade that she had seen many times before whenever she looked into Harry's eyes.

Harry. The thought made the smile disappear as quickly as it had come. Harry was far away and even had he not been it would be many years before they could once again be husband and wife. The circumstances forcing them to hide behind facades that left them yearning for the other's love. She returned to her sweeping with renewed vigor, the dust swirling up about her ankles again. Her hips swayed gently with the soft movement relaxing her. Gradually, she was able to push down thoughts of Harry beneath the pleasant monotony of the broom's motion.

Unbidden, a soft song came to her lips, her voice flowing and lifting over the soft breeze without effort. The melodious words carried with them all the sadness and loneliness that they could. She could almost hear the soft, slow strains of the violin in the background.

_Remember, Remember, I will still be here…_

The motions of the broom matched the slow, swaying rhythm of the song. Closing her eyes, Ginny let the broom and song take over, her actions automatic.

_As long as you hold me in your memory I will never fear… _

It brought back pleasant memories, of times with Harry. The years they spent together were full of happy times and thoughts. Thoughts that dealt with sneaking cookies from Grandma or arguing over what movie to watch. Never worrying about whether or not they would see each other again before something happened. Not worrying about that thrice damned prophecy hanging over their heads. Unconsciously, Ginny's voice grew louder as the song went on.

_Even though you have gone and left me alone in tears…_

Her body moved as gracefully as if it would in a dance with Harry. But this time, it was a dance of one.

_ To you my heart will always remain true…_

Behind her, the parents of seven listened to the heartrending song their only daughter was singing. Molly felt the emotions rolling of her daughter and was grateful for the support that Arthur was giving her, lest she break down right there on the doorstep. Ginny's song rose in volume and the sweeping stopped as she rode on the feelings that the beautiful melody was drawing from her.

_Remember, Remember I will always love you…_

The sun fell behind the hills and let its rays of light and warmth fall on Ginny one last time before disappearing completely.

_Remember…Remember…me…and you._

Tears sparkled in the fading light as they fell of Ginny's chin, caught in the wind. The broom was forgotten and dropped from her lifeless hands as Ginny just stood there…letting the wind wrap her up in its cold embrace.

"I miss you Harry…" 

Harry was pissed. No matter how hard he tried to tell the teachers that the Sorcerer's Stone was now longer safe they just ignored him. If he didn't have to masquerade as an eleven year old he would show those teachers a thing or two. He didn't train for seven years and take the Phoenix Accession test for nothing. But appearances must be maintained.

Harry reigned in control of his emotions and watched as Hermione tried to work out the logic puzzle on the table. Sinistra had been livid when the troll had found its way into the school without her knowledge and was determined to find what was putting this school in so much danger. Her information network paid off just last night and she had told Harry about the Stone and how to get past the enchantments inside.

He knew that he wanted the small smallest bottle to go on but Hermione was doing a good job and he could tell her if she was wrong. Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire – toward the Stone."

_Good girl, Hermione,_ Harry thought to himself. "There's only enough there for one of us," he said. He had no intention of letting Hermione go foreword anyhow. "That's hardly one swallow." They looked at each other. "Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy – go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him." Harry needed some way to put some urgency into her actions. "I might be able to hold of Qui-Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

"But Harry – what if You-Know-Who's with him?"

"Well – I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again. Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. _"Hermione!"_ He really needed to get her moving.

"Harry – you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you," said Harry. It was true, he wasn't even a wizard.

"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful!"

Harry finally got her to leave before picking up the smallest bottle on the table. _For you, Ginny._ He quickly downed the bottle in a single gulp and shivered as it ran through his body. It was like ice. He turned and walked through the fire to come face to face with Quirrell.

"I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter." Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry. "You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

Harry briefly contemplated vaporizing the man on the spot. The magic ropes that bound him were pathetic, though they would probably keep a first year stuck for a mage of his power they were a laugh. The only problem was that he didn't know who might be watching and if he were to play his hand, things would get very messy. He decided to play along.

"Potter, come here." The ropes fell of Harry and he walked over to join Quirrell in front of the Mirror of Erisod. "Look into the mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It out its hand in his pocket and pulled out a blood red stone, winked at Harry, and put the stone back in its pocket. Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket, he had gotten the Stone. But this complicated things, he could try and bluff his way out but that would be iffy and the monster would try to kill him anyway. No, it was time to go on the offensive.

Harry spun away from the man and dropped into a low combat stance. Quirrell let out a yell of surprise but Harry didn't let the man get situated. He swept the Defense professor's feet out and rabbit punched him in the solar plexus. He retracted his hand quickly as he felt his hand burn and heard Quirrell cry out in shock. Harry grabbed the man's arm to put it in a lock put the burning sensation came back.

Then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain – his best chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain until he passed out, or died. Harry quickly lunged forward and grabbed the man's arm once more, gritting his teeth against the torrent of pain. The pain continued to build and Harry felt blackness encroaching in on him. Quirrell's shrieks of pain were joined by his own and Harry felt himself fall backwards, remembering nothing else.

* * *

Some habits are almost impossible to break. But some don't need to be broken in the first place, which was why that, even after twenty years, Molly continued to check on her children every night. It was something she had done since Bill was born and was unable to sleep herself unless she knew they were okay and it saddened her that Ginny was her only child still sleeping in the Burrow.

The mother of seven leaned against the open doorway to her youngest daughter's room contemplating the events of the last year. Something was wrong, she could tell that much. Ginny had seemed depressed this last year, she was hiding it masterfully but Molly could see its traces. Every now and then something would slip. Just the other day she had listened to her baby girl singing on the front porch a song that was heartbreaking in both words and pure emotion. And then there had been the words the girl had mentioned after the song…_'I miss you Harry…'_

Molly didn't know how it came to be but she recognized the tone in which Ginny had said Harry's name. It was a tone she heard every time she spoke of Arthur and it worried her to no end that her daughter was speaking in such a loving voice already. She was only eleven for the Goddess' sake! And then there was the matter of this, 'Harry.' As far as Molly could remember, Ginny had no friends or relatives named Harry or Harold or anything even close to that. The closest she could come up was when Ginny had met young mister Potter on the platform of Nine and Three Quarters. But that contact had been so brief that nothing could have sparked between the two.

The matriarch shook her head softly and gazed once more at the face of her sleeping daughter, backing out of the room slowly. The peaceful smile on her face as she slept gave comforted Molly. She was softly closing the door when Ginny's scream ripped through her like a thousand knives. Molly slammed the door open and ran into the room as fast as she could. Ginny sat on her bed trembling violently as tears rolled uninhibited down her face. Her breath was labored and sobs were easily heard as she rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around her body.

Molly quickly rushed to her daughter's side and pulled her into her motherly embrace. Ginny buried her face into Molly's shoulder and sobbed even harder, mumbling over and over again, "Harry, Harry…" Molly tightened the embrace and let her daughter cry herself into exhaustion. Ginny's tears dried and the sobs stopped but Molly continued to hold her until she was certain that Ginny was asleep.

Arthur walked over to his wife's side having been woken up by Ginny's scream and gave her a concerned look. Molly just gave him a shrug of the shoulders and laid her baby girl back on her bed. She tucked in the covers and gave Ginny a small kiss on the forehead. Ginny turned in her sleep and mumbled, "I love you too Harry…now and forever."

Molly sat back at these words and traded a troubled look with Arthur. Perhaps…it was time to have a chat with the young Harry Potter.

* * *


	5. Chapter Five

* * *

Posted: April 20, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Five

"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, the old turquoise colored car hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbled down garage in a small yard, and Harry looked at, for the first time, the house that his wife grew up in. It looked just like he saw it in her memories, if a little older. It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, _The Burrow. _Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

"It's not much," said Ron.

Harry smiled at his friend, "It's wonderful."

"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred. "And wait for Mum to call us to breakfast. Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car."

Harry covered his smile with one hand. _Do they honestly think that that will work?_ From what Ginny had told him, her brothers were supposed to be pretty good at covering their tracks around their mother. But from what he had heard about Mrs. Weasley, he was certain that she already knew about her sons' disappearance and was probably more than a little angry. Harry glanced at the house and had to hide a smile yet again, _speak of the Devil…._

"Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry. I sleep at the – at the top –" Ron had gone a nasty greenish color, his eyes fixed on the house. The other two Weasley boys whirled around and Harry tried once more to cover his smirk. Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-tooth tiger.

"Ah," said Fred.

"Oh dear," said George.

Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next, totally ignoring Harry's presence. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket. _"So,"_ she said.

"Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been," said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.

"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to –"

Harry was treated to a wholly amazing sight. All three of Mrs. Weasley's sons were taller than she was, though even she was taller than Harry, but they cowered as her rage broke over them. "Beds empty! No note! Car gone – could have crashed – out of my mind with worry – did you care? – never, as long as I've lived – you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy --"

"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred, obviously not quiet enough.

"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have _died_, you could have been _seen_, you could have lost your father his _job –_" It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned to Harry.

Harry looked the women in the eye, he had seen much more frightening things than an angry woman and he refused to cower in front of anyone. Molly eyed the boy up and down warily for a moment, as if looking for some hidden danger. Harry found this to be odd, as most people wouldn't believe to have anything to fear from a twelve year old. In his case they'd be wrong of course but that was beside the point. Mrs. Weasley seemed to decide that Harry wasn't going to attack her right then and there and said, "I'm…pleased to see you, Harry, dear. Come in and have some breakfast." She turned and walked back into the house and Harry followed her, not even pausing to see if Ron and the twins followed him.

The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. He had never been in a wizarding house and he was interested to see how it compared with others that he had seen.

Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Harry felt a sudden pain of longing as he missed his own kitchen and cooking breakfast with Ginny. If she was awake that is, she liked to get up early too but the times that Harry woke up were, as she put it anyway, _ "Insane hours that not even bats, owls, or the dead would be awake for."_ Harry felt his heart jump in affection for his wife and he quickly snapped his attention to the direction of the stairs as he sensed her approaching.

* * *

Ginny yawned as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head languorously. She looked out her window on the second floor and saw that the sun had already risen an hour into the day. Ginny didn't normally sleep in this late but she had received a letter from Harry last night and waited until the rest of the house was asleep before reading it.

She felt across their bond that Harry was extremely amused about something and smiled to herself. The two didn't get very many laughs anymore but each one helped them through the separation. She hoped that it was a good one.

Stepping out of bed, Ginny pulled on a pair of Harry's fighting pants, they were too big for her to wear normally but she would wear his clothes every now and then. She snuggled a bit deeper into one of his silk shirts, they may have been large but they made great pajamas and after the initial shock, her family had gotten used to the idea of Ginny showing up to breakfast in them. Nobody knew they were Harry's of course but they all assumed it was one of the other brother's outfits.

She tied the waist string up snugly so the pants wouldn't fall down and wafted over to the door and padded down the stairs. She could hear her mother cooking breakfast in the kitchen though it sounded like she was angry about something from the amount of clanking coming from the room. Listening more carefully, she heard Ron and the twins talking over the table. That was a surprise; it was a rare day indeed when any of the males in the house woke up before her. Taking the last few steps she turned to see why they were up so early.

Before she could say anything, however, she was frozen in place by a pair of bright, emerald green eyes.

Ginny was shocked to say the least. She knew that Harry had befriended Ron during his time at Hogwarts but she never would have thought that friendship would land him right on her doorstep. She had resigned herself to not seeing Harry again until the beginning of the next school year but here he was…sitting at the table like he had been there forever. This was…this was a dream come true for Ginny. Oh, if only she could show just how truly content it made her feel.

Ron turned to ask Harry about his opinion on the state of the Cannon's Quidditch team but he noticed that Harry's attention was diverted toward the stairs. Following Harry's gaze, Ron saw that his best friend was staring at his youngest sister. He wasn't the only one that seemed to notice as Molly kept looking at Harry covertly while she pilled sausages onto everybody's plate. Ron was about to ask what was wrong when Harry stood up silently and breezed over to the smallest redhead.

Ginny watched as Harry walked over to her and stopped a foot in front of her. She was glad he stopped because she felt if he came any closer that she wouldn't be able to control herself from jumping into his arms and smothering him with kisses. He smiled confidently at her and she smiled shyly back, wondering what he was up to with all her family watching.

"Hi," Harry spoke up. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Ginny pretended to blush and looked down at her feet. They had decided let Ginny act like a girl with a crush so they could explain away any accidents that they might have. "I'm Ginny."

Harry flashed her one of those smiles that made her knees go weak. "Ron has told me a lot about you. Would you join us for some breakfast?" Harry gave a sweeping bow and held out his hand for her to take. Ginny giggled and allowed him to lead her to the table were he pulled out a chair next to him for her to sit down in. She giggled once more and sat down.

Fred leaned over the table to Harry and told him in a low warning, "You better watch out, Potter. That's our baby sister you're flirting with."

Harry looked mockingly outraged, "Flirting! You accuse me of flirting? I was just trying to be polite and show some manners as your guest, which is more than I can say for some of us." He looked pointedly at Ron who was currently shoveling as much egg in his mouth as he could.

George laughed, "Too right. Just checking then, Harry; a bloke can't be too careful sometimes."

Molly watched her children and their friend eat with a small frown on her face. It had been two months since Ginny had woken up screaming and Molly hadn't forgotten what she had muttered on the brink of sleep. She had written Dumbledore that night but he didn't have any answers either.

This encounter between her youngest and the bespectacled boy only served to give her more questions. Harry may have tried to throw off his actions as politeness but Molly knew better. The look she saw on the two children's' faces when they first saw each other was one of pure love. It had only been a brief flash and an instant later their faces were quickly schooled into normal expressions, but there was an utter devotion in their eyes that scared the Weasley matriarch in its intensity.

The love was still there though. Had it been anybody else they would not have noticed but Molly knew everything about her daughter and she could see the love shining just behind her eyes. They sparkled with her adoration and looking closely, Molly could see that same adoration in Harry's as well.

Something was not right and she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

"Checkmate." Fred looked at the chessboard in despair. It seemed that once again he had lost to his younger brother. He just plain couldn't understand why or how Ron was such a formidable player but he was proud that his youngest brother had a skill that none could match. Being able to beat anyone in the Weasley family at chess was an accomplishment indeed. It seemed that the knowledge was passed through their blood; everyone in the family of redheads was quite skilled at the game.

However, Ron seemed to take to it like a fish to water. They sometimes joked that he had started playing before he was even born, perturbed by lack of players he could face while still within his mother. It was at the tender age of four that Ron won his first real game against Arthur, much to the families shock and delight. Among chess players round the world the Weasleys were on top, but among the Weasleys, Ron reigned supreme.

"Bed time!"

Well…almost supreme.

Fred looked up after hearing his mother's call and looked around the living room. Both he and Ron were laid out on the floor, the sixty-four square battleground spread between them. George, whom had been watching the game with interest, was snoozing soundly in an armchair to Fred's left. His head was hanging down from his shoulders at an odd angle from not being propped up when he had fallen asleep. Fred winced at the pain his twin was sure to be feeling when he got up.

He let his gaze fall to the other two occupants of the room. Ginny lay sideways on the couch, her small frame only taking up about half of the couch's length as she lay stretched out. A book was in her hands and from the looks of it, Fred could tell that it was not just a light novel or adventure book. Just in front of her, sitting on the floor with his back against the couch, was Harry Potter. Another rather large tome was propped up on his knees. Fred tried to see if he could read the title but from were he sat it looked to be in a different language.

Fred had read all about the Boy-Who-Lived. Growing up, it used to be one of his favorite bedtime stories. When McGonagall had called out his name at the welcoming feast last year, Fred, like everybody else, had craned his neck this way and that to get a look at the celebrity that was in their midst. The sight that had greeted his eyes was not at all what he had expected.

The small boy that sat timidly on the stool looked to be everything the opposite of Harry Potter. There was no confident posture, no smug look of greatness on his face, no aura of power wreathing around him like a tornado. Fred had been sorely disappointed by what he saw and he was certain that others had felt the same.

But then the young child had gone and gotten a position as the house team's seeker. As he slowly got to know the boy, Fred began to notice tiny details that hinted at the greatness of Harry Potter. He seemed to be a natural leader, though often doing it from the sidelines by giving quiet suggestions, never telling people what to do. Oliver Wood was the team's captain but he always had an ear open to hear suggestions from the first year. Everyone on the team did and more often then not they responded to them. The chasers especially tested out his suggestions, Katie even seemed to act like they were orders most of the time.

This natural ability to command was not all that Fred had noticed. He was walking down the halls one day when he had heard a little scuffle happening in one of the side corridors. Fred turned to see what was going on when he saw some first year Slytherins picking on another first year. Fred couldn't see who it was but decided that the present odds of five on one weren't all that nice and had decided to intervene when the matter had been taken out of his hands.

A beam of red light flashed and in the blink of an eye, the five Slytherins were down for the count. Fred blinked and looked up to see Harry rushing to the young Ravenclaw and helping her up. Harry glared at the downed Slytherins for a moment before turning back to the Ravenclaw and checking to see if she was alright. Fred had backed out of sight by then and continued on his way to class, thinking that maybe this was why Harry was a legend.

Fred shook his head from his musings and looked to his mother, whom stood next to the stairs, her hand placed on her hips. "Sorry, Mum," Fred asked her gently. "What did you say?"

Mrs. Weasley huffed at having to repeat herself, "I said its time for you to go to bed. Get upstairs already."

Fred glanced hurriedly around the room and saw that while he was busy daydreaming, Ron and George had already cleaned up and went to their rooms. Harry and Ginny however seemed to have not moved an inch, still calmly reading their books. Fred gave his mother a questioning glance to which she replied with a shooting glare. Not wanting to anger the matriarch even further after the events of this morning, Fred quickly gathered his things and rushed past the plump woman on his way up the stairs to his shared bedroom.

* * *

Molly watched the retreating back of her troublemaking son and made sure he was in his room before turning to the two youngest occupants in the house. She walked further into the living room and sat down on one of the comfortable armchairs Arthur's mother had given them as a wedding present. Harry and Ginny did not move an inch the entire time she had shooed the others off to bed. She watched them for a moment as they calmly continued to read, turning a page every now and than, yet far too often for a book of that size.

The air around them was calm and relaxed but an underlying tension filled the room. It was disconcerting to Molly to realize that these two children were much more than what they seemed to be. If Ginny had not had that dream, Molly doubted that she would ever have noticed something wrong with Harry and Ginny. What truly frightened her was that her own daughter could hide something so effectively that Molly was barely picking up on it. If she, Ginny's mother, could barely see something going on, others would never have a clue.

It was Harry that made the first move. "What did you want to talk about that the others couldn't be here for Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked, still perusing the pages of the tome in front of him.

Mrs. Weasley raised an eyebrow at the astute assumptions of the child. She noticed that her youngest had not given any notice to Harry's question and had in fact started to run her hand gently through the boy's messy black hair. It was yet another example of things going on that Molly didn't have answers for. She quickly decided that the best way to approach the two would be to do it straight forward and directly, no beating around the bush. "Well…you could start by explaining to me what your relationship with my daughter is." She waved her hand in Ginny's direction.

Harry closed his book softly and set down to his side. He looked at Mrs. Weasley's eyes for a few seconds, measuring her up and trying to judge her character. He finally answered her question with one of his own. "Do you happen to have any floo powder, Mrs. Weasley? There is another person that I think should be here for this."

Molly didn't like his evasive avoiding of the question but nodded towards a small pot on the fireplace mantle. The black haired youth stood up off the floor and made his way to the burning flames. He tossed some powder in the fire and spoke to someone on the other side of the flames. Their conversation was too soft for her to hear but it wasn't long before she heard the distinct sound of someone apparating into her kitchen. Harry stood up from the fireplace and brushed off his trousers. As he walked back to the couch and sat down at his previous spot, Molly looked to see had entered her home.

"Mum?" To say that Molly was surprised was a gross understatement. Out of all the people that she expected to come through that door her mother was not on that list.

Cynthia quickly took in the scene before her and understood why Harry had called her as this situation had a high potential to become rather nasty. She smirked when she noticed Ginny's idle playing with Harry's hair. It was a habit the girl had developed over the years and one that the married couple enjoyed so they saw no reason to stop. She turned to her daughter, "Hello dear." Cynthia traversed the floor and sat down in an armchair next to her daughter. "How are you doing? It's been a while since I've seen you."

Molly looked at her mother, flabbergasted at the way she calmly started a mundane conversation as if being called to her daughter's house by Harry Potter was something that happened all the time. Looking from her mother to Harry and her daughter and back, Molly couldn't find the words to start her questioning. Harry saw the women's predicament however and decided to give the poor woman a break; it was going to be a hard night for her after all.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said softly. "I am sorry to dump all this on you like this but you know your daughter too well for us to hide this from you. Please understand that though I will answer as many of your questions as I can, there are some things that I can not tell you for the safety of yourself and others." Harry discreetly waved his hand in a small little pattern; in very little time several wards were placed around the room to prevent anyone from listening in or interrupting.

"I am a mage, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said firmly. "And what is more, so are Ginny and your mother."  
Molly let out a soft gasp. She knew about mages, the different magical societies were a required topic during the seventh year of Hogwarts. Mages usually took up a good bit of time despite the lack of firm facts that wizards have. From what she _did_ remember, mages used only internal magic and therefore didn't need a wand or any other outside focus. She vaguely remembered something about increased life spans too but she couldn't recall any specifics. Looking towards her mother, Molly hoped that Cynthia could help her out.

However, it wasn't the aging mother that she knew that sat in the armchair next to her. The woman sitting there was like a picture out of Mrs. Weasley's childhood memories. It was Cynthia, but it was a Cynthia that looked to be about thirty years of age. "Hello, dear," Cynthia said in the exact same tone she had before.

Looking back over at the children, Molly saw that Ginny and Harry had also changed. Now standing in front of the couch, Harry and Ginny had reverted to their normal bodies, hands clasped and an anxious look on their faces. It was an astounding thing to see. Just moments before she had been talking to two twelve year olds and now she was gaping at two adults that were nineteen years of age.

Harry watched the matriarch carefully and saw that she was taking the news a lot better than he could have hoped. Seeing no adverse affects, Harry decided to let her in on the next bit of news. Concentrating a bit, Harry let the spell that he had placed over his and Ginny's wedding rings disperse, so that anybody could see the gold bands on their fingers.

Molly didn't know what to do, it was a difficult thing to grasp, her daughter being a mage and currently nineteen years old but the proof was here in front of her eyes. As she looked her daughter over critically, to make certain that nothing was too out of place, she saw a flash of gold on Ginny's hand. Looking closer, Mrs. Weasley could see the beautiful wedding ring that adorned the girl's left hand. Quickly looking towards Harry she saw a simple gold band on his hand as well.

"Y-You…You're m-m-married?"

Harry looked at the woman's gaze, seeing that her eyes were focused on the wedding rings. She had picked up on that fact a lot quicker than he had thought she would. Ginny gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and he appreciated the gesture. He nodded slightly, "Yes, Mrs. Weasley. We have been married for almost a year and a half now."

Molly gaped like a fish out of water for a few seconds before she did what any other sensible person would do. She fainted.

* * *

Ginny watched Gilderoy Lockhart deliver his bombastic speech with one arm draped around Harry and smirked slightly to herself. Harry looked like he wanted to do nothing more than blast the pompous buffoon out of existence. _It's almost worth it…_ Ginny mused to herself. If it got rid of that parasite on the world, maybe revealing their positions as mages wouldn't be too bad. She chuckled at the thought of how the world would take that.

_Probably worse than Mum did._ It was true that Molly had taken the news concerning Harry and Ginny remarkably well. Cynthia had helped a great deal in that respect. After they had revived Ginny's mother, Cynthia stepped in and took control of the situation with a firm hand, guiding the conversation to exactly the pertinent information so that Molly wouldn't have time to panic.

Surprisingly, once the redheaded matriarch had gotten over the fact that her daughter was now nineteen and married she warmed up to the idea rather fast. Ginny pulled out the wedding photos and the three females poured over the album while Harry watched on in amusement. They made certain, however, that Molly was aware of the importance of keeping this a secret and that she continue to treat Harry and Ginny normally. It would not do for the rest of the world to learn of this.

Harry made his way over to her with the armload of Lockhart books and tipped them into her cauldron. "Here," he said. "You can have these. I'll get my own –"

"I bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter," said a voice behind her. She turned to see who was calling her when she realized that nobody here knew of their marriage and was most likely calling Harry. Sure enough, when she completed her turn she saw a pale, blonde haired boy wearing a rather offensive sneer.

"Famous Harry Potter," said the boy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

Ginny didn't know why but she found herself immediately disliking this young boy that stood in front of her and Harry. "Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. She knew that Harry hated the extra attention and special treatment that he got. He didn't mind if he deserved it but for something that happened when he was one he could not claim any credit.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled the boy.

Ginny smirked, _ If only you knew… if only you knew._ She saw Ron and Hermione fighting their way through the crowd, both clutching stacks of Lockhart books.

"Oh it's you," said Ron, looking at the mean boy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

Ginny scowled at her brother, she loved him dearly but sometimes he needed to know what to say and what not to say. Using your friend as a way to elevate your status and as a way to attack your enemies fell into the later category. She knew that her husband was patient and forgiving but even he could be pushed beyond certain limits and if Ron kept that sort of attitude up he would find himself short one leg of a tripod.

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted the blonde. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those." Ginny shook her head as Ron went red and started towards the sneering boy, but Harry and Hermione held him back. She would never understand her brother's rage at being poor. So what if they couldn't afford brand new items all the time? They made do and stayed together as a family, there were far worse things in the world than being poor.

"Ron," said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley." It was Mr. Lucius Malfoy. This would make the young blonde his son Draco. Lucius stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way. It really was amazing how the two looked so much alike when they did that.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly. Ginny began to wonder just how far back the Weasley-Malfoy rivalry really went.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids…I hope they are paying you overtime?" He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of _a Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration._ "Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of a wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed even darker then Ron. Ginny began to back up out of the line of fire and could see Harry doing the same next to her. "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Arthur said.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley…and I thought your family could sink no lower –"

Ginny dropped her cauldron with a heavy thud and was about to use her now free hands to send a nasty hex at the older Malfoy before Harry's grip on her arm stopped her. Mr. Weasley had already thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down around them and they covered their heads to avoid injury. There was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred of George followed by Mrs. Weasley shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!" While all this was going on the crowd stampeded backward and knocking even more shelves over in a rush to get out of the line of fire.

Ginny was watching her Daddy struggling against Mr. Malfoy when her eyes caught onto the movements Mr. Malfoy was making with his cane as he swung at Gin's father. Glancing over to Harry she saw that he too had already picked up on the movements. Lucius was using a sword fighting style dating back several hundred years. It appeared that not all wizards were as ignorant to muggle fighting techniques as they thought.

"Break it up there gents, break it up –" Hagrid was wading toward them trough the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had the beginnings of a black eye, courtesy of a copy of _ Encyclopedia of Toadstools._ He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her as if it were going to bite him, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you –" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept out of the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten to the core, the whole family; everyone knows that – no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter – bad blood, that's what it is – come on now – let's get outta here." The shop assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them from leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's waist and seemed to think better of it.

Ginny watched with some amusement as her father carefully placed himself between herself and Harry. It had been something Arthur had been doing ever since her mother had told him about Ginny and her husband. They hurried up the street; the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set for your children…" Ginny tuned out her mother's rant and looked through her cauldron of books to see if anything was missing. Her eyes fell on a small black book that she didn't remember buying and she pulled it out of the cauldron. Flipping through the pages she couldn't see any writing or identifying marks. She shrugged and tossed it back into the cauldron, she would look at it later.

* * *

Harry glared around the room at the gathered occupants. He was once again meeting with the mages in the astronomy tower and he was far from happy with the information they were telling him. Things were in dire straits and Harry didn't know how he could fix them. Dumbledore had been ousted from his position as headmaster, Hagrid was in the wizard's prison, Hermione was sitting in the hospital wing petrified, and nine tenths of the school believed Harry to be the one carrying out the attacks.

"I don't know what else to tell you, Sir," Sinistra said from her position across from him. "Hagrid was expelled from school, accused of directing the attacks the first time like you saw in that diary but none of the genealogy trees connect Hagrid to Slytherin. And as far as anyone knows, Voldemort has been the only one in living memory that has declared themselves as being the heir."

Harry growled; he knew all this already. "Have we found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets yet?"

Katie Bell shook her head, "The teachers have combed the school from top to bottom several times. I myself have checked twice and I can find no magical doorway to the Chamber. It could be something as simple as a door hidden behind a painting but if it is, it is hidden very, very well."

Harry slammed his fist on the table, snarling in anger, "God damn it! This school is being attacked from the inside out and we don't have a clue about what is even going on! It isn't going to be much longer before someone dies again and then what will happen? We need to end this and we need to end it now!"

His lieutenants didn't say anything and Harry rubbed his forehead, letting off a deep sigh. He wished Ginny where here, she was able to see things where Harry couldn't but she had gone to bed early. _And there's another mystery…, _Harry thought worriedly. Something had been bothering Ginny lately and Harry didn't know what it was. He did know that whatever was going on, it was messing up with their bond. The other night Harry woke up in a panic because he couldn't feel Ginny at all. He had run to the girl's dormitory (avoiding the stairs turning into a slide by a magically aided jump) and was quite glad when he saw her sleeping peacefully on her bed. The bond had only been gone for a minute but it was long enough to frighten Harry deeply. The bond had never faulted before and he didn't like that it was doing so now, or ever for that matter. Unfortunately he couldn't ask her about it due to an annoying inability to find time to be alone with her.

Harry looked up to the others, "Okay despite what is going on with the school now, how is everything else holding?"

It was Cedric that answered this one, "Well Katie and I have found some people who are interested in training with us in fighting techniques. That will bring the group up to ten if we include the few that were training with us before."

"Good, keep it at that number for now. I don't want anybody to get too suspicious if everyone is starting to learn how to fight. Make certain that you teach them about fighting as a unit and prepare them for taking orders. They will be an absolute last line of defense but if I need them, I want them to be ready."

"Right," Cedric nodded.

"Sinistra?" Harry turned towards the eldest in their party.

"I have a few students that I think would make excellent spies. With your permission, I would like to train them up and set them to work within the year. Maybe then we can stave off another incident like this."

"You have permission, get on it." The meeting didn't last much longer and Harry made his way back to Gryffindor tower, silent as a cat and worried about the fate of the school as well as his wife.

* * *

Harry and Ron paced around the deserted staff room excitedly. For the first time in months Harry understood what was going on. He knew where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was and he knew what resided inside of it. The only thing he did not know was who was giving the orders to the snake. Suddenly, Harry felt his insides freeze and he sank slowly to his knees. He could no longer feel Ginny through the bond.

"Oh no…oh goddess no…" Harry muttered softly, clutching his heart. The emptiness he felt inside of him was enough to make him want to die. What had happened?

"All students are to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers are to go to the staff room. Immediately, please."

Ron whirled around to face Harry and saw him there, collapsed on his knees. "What happened? What's wrong Harry, are you alright?" Harry couldn't answer for fear that he would break down crying if he did. "Should we go back to the dormitory?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head and gestured to a wardrobe on his left, full of the teachers' cloaks. Hiding themselves inside it, they watched between the musty folds of the cloaks as the teachers filtered into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived.

"It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

Professor Flitwick let out a squeak and fell right off his chair. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one, _'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'_

"Who was it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

Harry felt a cold fear grip his heart as he knew for a certainty whom it was. "Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall. Harry felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside him. He saw Sinistra tense up and a look of unbridled fury wash over her face. "We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," continued McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…"

The staffroom door banged open again and Lockhart stood in the opening, beaming. "So sorry, I dozed off…what have I missed?" He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped foreword.

"Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been taken by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Your moment has come at last." Lockhart blanched.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I – well, I –" sputtered Lockhart. Harry felt a cold fury towards this man. If he had indeed known this information and done nothing about it than Lockhart was going to pay. In the mind of Harry, he had just helped contribute to what had happened to this school.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall –"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free reign from the first?"

Lockhart stared around at his stony faced colleagues. "I-I really never – you may have misunderstood –"

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free reign at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble. "V-very well," he said. "I'll – I'll be in my office, getting – getting ready." And he left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out from under our feet. The heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories?"

The teachers rose and left, one by one.

* * *

Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it from the stress caused by the cave in. They didn't look very stable so it didn't seem to be a good idea to blast away at the rocks and cause another rockslide. Ron was cursing to himself on the other side and Harry could hear him shifting some of the rocks. They were wasting too much time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours…Harry knew there was only one thing left to do.

"Wait there," he called to Ron. "Wait with Lockhart. I'll go on…if I'm not back in an hour…" There was a very pregnant pause.

"I'll try and shift some of this rock," said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady. "So you ca – can get back through. And, Harry –"

"See you in a bit," said Harry, not letting Ron finish. Turning, he set off alone past the giant snakeskin. His mind was awhirl with thoughts on how to defeat this monstrous snake. From what he remembered, basilisks were extremely resistant to magic so that put a damper on things. Also Harry wouldn't be able to look at the snake so his fighting skills would be diminished as well as his aim. The odds all seemed to be against him.

Soon the distant noise of Ron straining to shift the rocks was gone. The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. He wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what he'd find when he did. And then, at last, as he crept around yet another bend, he saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glittering emeralds.

Harry approached his throat very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive. He could guess what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker. "Open," said Harry in a faint hiss. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry walked inside.

He was standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Then as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry had to crane his neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, were two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, facedown laid a small, black-robed figure with flaming red hair.

Harry's heart jumped as he saw his lovely wife lying crumpled on the floor. He sprinted over to her still form and dropped to his knees. He cradled her lithe body in his hands, shaking. "Ginny, Ginny, come on Ginny. I need you to wake now, love. I need you to wake up and look at me again and we need to get out of here and I promise that I will never leave your side again and we'll leave all this behind and have a family…oh goddess Gin, wake up!"

Harry was boarding on hysterical now. The bond had been cut off and no matter his efforts, Ginny was not stirring. He didn't want to see what life was like without his wife but she _would not _wake. Harry brushed away some of the tears that fell down his cheeks. As he looked into his beloved's face, white and as cold as marble, he felt a cold rage wash over him. If it took the rest of his life, he would find out who caused this and make them pay. The basilisk was going to die tonight and its master would soon follow.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees wondering who could have snuck up on him like that. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him – "Tom – Tom Riddle?" Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes of Harry's face. "What do you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately turning to look at his wife once more. "She's not – she's not –?"

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just." Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen. Harry frowned as he tried to feel Riddle's magic but sensed nothing, it was like Riddle wasn't even there.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years." He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second Harry had wondered how it had gotten there – but there were more pressing matters to deal with. With Riddle here he couldn't use any of his mage abilities but he could enlist Riddle to help him.

"You've got help me, Tom," Harry said, settling Ginny in a more comfortable position. "We've got to get out of here….There is a basilisk and I won't be able to defend us while I carry her." Harry reached for his wand on the floor next to him but found it was gone. "Did you see –?"

He looked up to see his wand being twirled through Riddle's long fingers. A smile was curled on the young man's mouth that really annoyed Harry for some reason. "Come on Tom. We've got to go…I don't know when the basilisk will be back…"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly. Something about the way Tom was acting and what he had just said sent warning flags up in Harry's head. He softly lowered Ginny back to the ground; he would need his hands free. Harry stood up to his full height of five feet four and looked at Riddle's towering figure of six feet.

"Could you give me my wand back?" Harry asked politely. "I might end up needing it."

Riddle's smile broadened, "You won't be needing it." Harry simply stared at him. "I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you. That is why we are here." Riddle stopped twirling Harry's wand and put it in his pocket.

Harry narrowed his eyes, "How did Ginny get like this?"

"Well, that is an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes – how her brothers tease her, how she doesn't have many friends, how" – Riddle's eyes glinted – "how she missed her wonderful, loving _husband_, Harry Potter…"

Harry's heart froze. Ginny must have been hurting from their separation far more than he had ever realized if she was willing to risk writing information like that down. But information written in the diary was absorbed into it so she must have felt it was okay. _Where does the information go? It has to have a storage place of some type, unless…_Harry looked up at Riddle sharply.

"I see you began to understand, _Milord Phoenix._" Riddle nearly spat the words. "Ginny poured her soul into me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted….I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Mrs. Potter. Powerful enough to start taking my own form." Tom paused as if a revelation came to him. "I guess that it's not really her fault. Your kind being so susceptible to…outside influences if you will."

_Of course, _ Harry thought. _Mind control._ It was the main weakness of a mage. Tuning ones body to their internal energies and creating conduits for that energy throughout the body is what allowed mages to live their long life spans and instantaneous access to their magic. Unfortunately, the pathways were so effective and numerous that outside energies could also flow through them.

Someone using a spell such as the Imperius curse would find easy entrance into a mage's mind with absolutely no mental or physical blocks to prevent them from taking over. Once the original hook was set, there was absolutely no way for a mage to fight the curse. Wizards could often break out of the curse in time because their energy flow was not as complete and there would be parts of the mind that the curse doesn't reach.

There was one way for a mage to fight the curse, however. If a mage let their energy flow through their body it would interfere with the energy from the curse and all other outside influences. This stopped the Imperius curse from affecting the mages but meant that they had to keep their energy flowing at all times. It didn't cause too much strain on the user, especially if they were used to it, but it allowed others to detect ones presence.

Since he had been on his guard when using the diary himself, Riddle had not been able to control Harry. He and Ginny had not been doing this process all the time though, there were simply too many teachers in the school that would start asking questions about why two twelve year olds had so much power. From the time Ginny first wrote in the diary, she was under Riddle's power. Anger coursed through Harry and his nails were biting into his palm. _But there must be a power source…something that has allowed him to take over in the first place._

"Yes," Riddle continued on. "I always found it fascinating how you mages always seemed prepared for battle. Even during times of long peace it was noted that mages were viciously destructive during fights. Even more interesting, is that your largest weakness is exactly what any ruler would want. An easily controllable warrior…a perfect weapon. Such a weapon that could hide from wizards so easily would have been perfect for my war against the filthy Mudbloods…."

"Well you failed this time," Harry said quietly. "Not one of the victims has died and by tomorrow morning they will all be up and well."

Riddle waved a hand dismissively, "Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore. For many months now my target has been you, Harry Potter. I want to know, how is that you – a small, skinny boy – managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why do you care?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time…."

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…" He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins run the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No Harry – I fashioned myself a new name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Harry smirked, a cold smile and looked at Riddle square in eye. "You never were, you know. I can think of several people off the top of my head that were far greater than you ever were. You yourself were terrified of Dumbledore, never trying for an assault on Hogwarts…"  
Riddle opened his mouth to retort but froze. Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down at the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, and unearthly; Harry recognized it immediately, feeling it vibrating through his bones, setting his blood aflame. Harry watched the phoenix fly straight towards him before it dropped the ragged object that it carried in its' talons at Harry's feet.

"That's a phoenix…" said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it. "And that –" said Riddle, now eyeing the object at Harry's feet, "that's the old school Sorting hat –" Riddle began to laugh so hard that the dark chamber rang with it's cold calculation. It was if there were ten Riddles, all laughing at once. "Well than Harry, let us match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, the Lord Phoenix and the best weapons he has…."

He cast an amused look towards Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, and then walked away. Harry watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed…. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue. Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Harry saw the mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. Something was stirring inside the statue's mouth, slithering up from the depths. Harry backed up and shut his eyes tightly, his only defense against the killing stare of the basilisk.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder – using his senses, Harry could tell what was going on, he could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself and turning towards Harry. The basilisk was moving now, moving toward Harry; he could hear the heavy body slithering across the floor. Eyes still shut tightly, Harry quickly moved to the center of the Chamber to give himself room to maneuver.

The attack never came though and Harry heard the snake trashing about and Fawkes' wings beating against the air. Opening his eyes just a crack to see what was going on. The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high into the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what was distracting the snake. Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabers.

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned – Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes, both its great bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. "Leave the bird! Leave the bird! The boy is behind you! You can still smell him! Kill him!" The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

The snake's long tail swept across the floor again and Harry had to duck to prevent being hit. His arms were suddenly full of a soft fabric. The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into Harry's arms. He took the hat and placed it on his head. _With all the knowledge the founders gave, do you have any tips on how to kill a basilisk?_ Harry questioned the hat wryly.

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it tightly. Something hard and heavy thudded on top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it. A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

"Kill the boy! Leave the bird! The boy is behind you! Sniff – smell him!"

Harry was on his feet at the ready, thankful for the sword he now held in his hands. He would have preferred his own but that would have attracted Ron's attention. He swung the silver weapon around a few times, testing its balance and speed. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face him.

The snake lunged towards Harry whom quickly side stepped, bringing the sword up to cut the neck of the snake as it went by. Blood splashed across Harry's vision and the snake turned to lunge again. Harry dodged the other way this time cutting the snake once more but as he stepped back, his feet slipped on a piece of rubble and that was all the serpent needed.

The basilisk lunged again, its aim true – Harry hastily brought the sword up and threw his entire weight behind the sword as he drove it through the roof of the snake's mouth and into its brain. But the stumble had cost Harry, and as the sword crushed through the beast's pallet, Harry felt one of the venomous fangs pierce his arm, splintering as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

Harry slid down a wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrenched it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking more of his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color.

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him. "Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…." He felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him. He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he is doing, Potter? He's crying."

Harry blinked. Fawkes' head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers. _Of course,_ Harry thought dully. _Phoenix tears have healing properties!_

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time, I'm in no hurry."

Harry nearly snarled, _Good you bastard, you just sit there and in a minute I'm going to get up and kill you several times over for what you've done to Ginny._ The Chamber was slowly coming back into focus and Harry felt the blood flowing from the wound stop.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him – I said, get away –" Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet. Harry stood up, sword in hand. "Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. " Of course…healing powers…I forgot…" He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter…you and me…"

"You will wish that the snake had killed me off, Tom." Harry brought the sword up into a ready position and Riddle raised the wand. In the blink of an eye they both reacted, Tom sending a curse towards Harry and Harry dashing to the left and foreword. The curse missed Harry but the sword went right through Tom's middle. It took a moment for Harry to realize that there was no blood, no scream, no cutting sensation. _He still doesn't have any permanence!_

Another curse blasted into Harry's chest and he went flying across the room. Riddle laughed his high, cold laugh, "You will find that physical attacks don't affect me, Potter." Harry groaned standing up from were he had landed. Riddle was right; he would just have to kill Tom from the source…but what was it?

In a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell at Harry's feet – the diary. For a split second, both Harry and Riddle looked at the object before comprehension lit up on both their faces. With one swift move, Harry plunged the sword straight through the diary, twisting the sword to make the hole as big as possible.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then—he was gone. Harry's wand fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence, except from the drip, drip, drip of ink and blood falling from Harry's robes. Shaking all over, Harry gathered up his wand, the sword, and the diary, and made his way over to his waking wife.

Gathering her into his arms as he knelt beside her on the cold stone floor, Harry watched his beloved's eyes flutter open. Her gaze fell upon Harry and she giving a startled cry, wrapped her arms around his neck before giving him a fierce, passionate kiss. Harry felt the bond connect once again between them and sighed in relief as he could feel that she was all right.

Ginny broke the kiss between them and looked around at the dead basilisk and trilling phoenix. She looked into Harry's eyes once more. "Harry, dear…w-what happened? Why are you covered in blood? What is the snake and phoenix doing her-?" Harry placed his finger on her lips to shush her.

"It's okay," he said softly. "Everything's okay and will be alright. Now, come on," he said getting to his feet. "We've got some explaining that we have to do." And the young…adult couple made their way to the end of the chamber, hand in hand, rings glowing brightly in the gloom.

* * *


	6. Chapter Six

* * *

Posted: November 11, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Six

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got _everything_ – Pepper Imps – they make you smoke at the mouth – and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next –"

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In _Sites of Historical Sorcery_ it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain –"

"– and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying, much to her distress.

Harry smiled at his friends' antics. Ginny said that it was because they were starting to like one another and didn't know how to handle it but Harry had his doubts. The way those two fought and argued over the simplest things made Harry think that any type of a relationship between the two of them would lead to certain disaster. Even as simple friends they needed Harry there to buffer their disagreements. What would they do if Harry wasn't there?

Certainly, it was obvious to Harry that the rest of Gryffindor should bless the ground he walked on for dealing with Ron and Hermione. If it wasn't for him, the Gryffindor common room would be a vicious battle ground at least once a night. As it was, the fights only happened about once a week at the most.

It still gave Harry a headache sometimes though. He knew that it was unfair of him to wish that they would just grow up sometimes when he had several years of age on them but he found himself doing it sometimes anyway. These thoughts never lasted long though and in a few years the age difference wouldn't matter much. It was one benefits of being a mage that once you reach a certain age, the years, and sometimes decades, between friends weren't apparent. Harry and Dazna were perfect examples. Dazna was over two hundred years Harry's elder but neither cared or even noticed one bit.

As Hermione continued to talk about the history of Hogsmeade and Ron continued listing sweets, Harry looked at the other occupant of the train compartment they had acquired for the trip to Hogwarts. He was wearing very shabby robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted and though he appeared to be quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey. The case Hermione had pointed out earlier was small and battered. It was held together by a large quantity of neatly tied string and had his name stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

_ Professor Remus John Lupin,_ Harry mused as he studied the man. His mind floated to the information Sinistra had sent him via owl a few weeks ago. Taking the spot of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus was far more educated in that field than his predecessor. The fact that the new teacher was a werewolf did not concern Harry; there were ways to deal with werewolves after all. No…what concerned Harry was that the man that sat in front of him used to be best friends with his father and conversely, friends with one Sirius Black as well.

Sinistra had been the astronomy teacher during his parents' time at Hogwarts as well (under a different guise of course). According to her there were no greater friends than the infamous Marauders and within that group you could not separate James and Sirius. Best friends amongst a group of best friends…and Sirius betrayed that.

He betrayed Harry's parents to the evil Voldemort, who in turn had mercilessly killed his mother and father before attempting to kill Harry himself. Not satisfied with killing just his best friend, Sirius also did away with Peter Pettigrew and thirteen helpless muggles that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. These actions ended him in a ten by ten cell in the wizard's prison Azkaban for the rest of his waking life. But Sirius had escaped…and it appeared that he was trying to finish the job his master could not. Harry had sworn not to go after Sirius but if the man ever showed his face, Harry would show him exactly why he was the Lord Phoenix.

Remus continued to sleep soundly, and though he was not great company, his presence had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps in the corridor and their three least favorite people appeared in the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Draco Malfoy and Harry had been enemies ever since they had meet on their very first train ride to Hogwarts. Malfoy, who had a pale, pointed, sneering face, was in the Slytherin House; he played Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team, the same position that Harry played on the Gryffindor team. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to exist solely to do Malfoy's bidding. They were both wide and muscular; Crabbe was taller, with a pudding bowl haircut and a very thick neck; Goyle had short, bristly hair and long, gorilla-like arms.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled, sounding a lot like a pair of exceptionally stupid trolls. "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"

Harry sighed to himself as he grabbed one edge of Ron's robes as the redheaded stood up quickly, knocking Crookshank's basket to the floor. Harry wondered if his friend would ever get that temper of his under control. They still had five more years of Malfoy to deal with for crying out loud. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"New teacher," Harry said, keeping a firm grip on Ron's robes. "What were you saying Malfoy?"

Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't foolish enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose. "C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared. Ron sat back down, massaging his knuckles.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get a hold of his head and –" Ron made a violent gesture in midair.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin," Be careful…"

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep. The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering grey, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered to life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning foreword to look past the sleeping Professor. The words had hardly left his mouth when the train started to slow down. "Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…"

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione checking her watch. Harry looked at his own watch and saw that Hermione was correct. There was still some time to go.

"So why're we stopping?" The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and the rain sounded even louder against the windows. Harry, who was nearest to the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments. The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

A few distant shrieks of surprise from the students sounded further foreword on the train. Harry positioned himself by the door and slowly built his energy up deep inside of him. He had to be careful with the professor in the same compartment and Hermione was also beginning to sense magical energies but with the current chaos he doubted that either would notice what he was doing.

"What's going on?" Ron's voice came from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno…"

There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim outline of Ron, whipping a patch clean on the window and peering out. "There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard…." The compartment door opened and someone rushed into Harry's back before falling in a heap to the floor.

"Sorry – d'you know what's going on? – Ouch – sorry –"

"Hello, Neville," said Harry, reaching down and helping the poor boy up off the floor.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

Harry grimaced as Neville kicked him in the shin. "No idea – _sit down_ –"

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him and heard the door slide open again. He was about to warn her when a thud and two loud squeals of pain shot out from the door.

Harry winced, "Sorry, Ginny."

Hermione's voice spoke up, "Ginny? Is that you?"

"Hermione?"

Harry called out softly, "Both of you, come in here and sit down. It does no good to bumble about in the dark like this." The two girls made their way back in and sat down.

"Ouch!" Neville said. "Hermione, I'm already here!"

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly. Professor Lupin seemed to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements coming from his corner but nobody spoke. There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, grey face, but his eyes looked alert and wary. Harry noticed that Lupin was fueling the fire with his internal energies. It seemed that Lupin had quite a bit more mastery of his magic than Harry had originally thought. "Stay where you are," said Lupin in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held in front of him. But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking. And scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water….

But it was visible for a split second only for as though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak. And then the thing beneath the cloak, whatever it was, drew in a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over them all and Harry felt Ginny take his hand in fear. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than skin, it was inside his chest, inside his very heart…. Harry's eyes rolled up in his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. The only thing he felt was Ginny's hand in his and there was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder….

And then, from far away, he heard screaming, terrible terrified, pleading screams. He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but couldn't…a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside him –

"Harry! Harry! Are you all right?" Someone was slapping his face.

"W – what?" Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking – the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have fallen to the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him on one side and Ginny on the other, tears streaming down her face. Above them, Harry could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face. Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto a seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yes," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened?" Where's that – that thing? Who screamed?" Harry's head was spinning a mile a minute.

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still. Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny looked extremely pale and was shivering slightly. Harry gathered his love for her and sent it to her through their bond in an effort to calm her down. Watching her closely he could see her visibly relax and stop shivering. She gave him a warm smile, love in her eyes.

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces. "Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it. "What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the dementors of Azkaban."

Harry and Ginny froze in their seats. Nobody had told them that dementors were going to be stationed at Hogwarts. It must have happened just recently else Sinistra would have warned them far in advance. Dementors could be a big problem with mages.

Not much was known about dementors. Their origin, their age, what they truly look like, it was all a mystery to the human population. The circumstances behind their creation were even a mystery, nobody knew if they were a natural magical creature or some ancient necromancer's experiment gone wrong. What little was known about the creatures was kept hidden from the public, classified under 'Eyes Only: Minister' files at the Ministry of Magic. Dementors were among the foulest creatures that walked the earth. They infested the darkest, filthiest places, they gloried in decay and despair, and they drained the peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them.

Common belief was that dementors sucked out all the good feelings and happy memories from a person merely by close proximity. This was close to the truth but it was missing one important fact. Dementors didn't feed off of happy feelings but rather those of anguish and despair. They consciously directed a human's mind to the worst experiences in their life, their biggest fears, and then fed off those fears. A dementor would infiltrate your mind _through_ one's magic, allowing them to sidestep all the barriers a person had. Simply flooding themselves with energy, as was procedure to stop a mind attack, wouldn't help a mage and in fact would allow the dementor much quicker access to their darkest memories.

As far as Harry could remember the only way to stop a dementor was through a Patronus. One of the few spells he had not mastered during his time on Phoenix Isle. If the dementors were going to be stationed at Hogwarts for the indefinite future he would have to remedy that situation. Harry could not afford to have that weakness while Sirius Black still lurked out in the world.

"Are you sure your okay, Harry?" said Hermione, watching Harry anxiously.

Harry nodded, "What happened?"

"Well – that thing – the dementor – stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) – and you – you –"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching –"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again…."

Ginny, who was huddled in the corner, still looking nearly as bad as Harry felt despite his reassurances through their bond, gave a small sob; Harry scooted over next to her and wrapped her up in an embrace. Appearances be damned, she needed him now and he wouldn't let anything stop that. He looked at the others, "No one else fainted or anything…did they?"

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad though…." Harry tightened his embrace on his wife and made a silent vow to himself. He would master the Patronus spell and keep the dementors from hurting Ginny in anyway he can.

* * *

Harry watched with a smile on his face as Ginny blew out the candles on her birthday cake. Several people started singing Happy Birthday, all in a different key and many with added words, creating a large cacophony of noise. Gryffindors always celebrated every birthday they could, using the aging of one of their fellow comrades as an excuse to do what Gryffindors did best…party! It had been raging on for several hours now and was ending the same way they all did…with cake and presents. There was a fairly large turnout of people for Ginny's special day. Katie Bell sat to one side of Ginny, talking rapidly with her friend. Despite the fact that Katie was the designated bodyguard of Ginny, the two had become fast friends and quickly overstepped that boundary between charges and their protectors.

To her left sat Hermione. It hadn't taken Hermione long to realize that being best friends with two boys left you with no one to turn to for the girl talks that all females felt compelled to have every now and then. Harry personally believed that the imbalance in having two X chromosomes had something to do with the compulsion. Either way, Hermione had quickly befriended Katie and Ginny and the three could often be seen together as often as Harry and Ron were. Speaking of Ron…Harry spied the redhead pushing his way through the crowd with an armload of Ginny's presents. He stopped in front of Harry's beloved and dumped them unceremoniously in front of her.

"Presents!" he said, a large goofy grin on his face. He quickly snatched one of the wrapped items and held it out to Ginny proudly. "Here," he said beaming. "Open mine first."

Harry chuckled, no matter how much older his friend got, he still remained at the same maturity level he was at when Harry first met him. Ginny accepted Ron's gift with a smile and proceeded to open the package, careful not to tear the paper more than was necessary. Harry didn't know where his wife had picked up that particular quirk; she didn't even keep the wrapping paper or bows for later. Merely took care while unwrapping and then threw the paper away later. Though he didn't understand it, Harry knew that it was these little quirks that make us who and what we are. He loved Ginny with all his heart and would continue to do so no matter what little habits she had picked up here and there.

Ginny lifted the lid off the box and let out a small exclamation of delight. She reached in and pulled out a deep blue winter scarf holding it up for everybody to see. "Oh Ron, it's beautiful! Thank you so much." She leaned foreword and gave her youngest brother a kiss on the cheek as way of thanks. "I needed a new scarf too, how did you know?"

Ron waved it off, "It wasn't much, and Katie told me." He gave out a soft laugh, "It's getting harder and harder to shop for you each year and I was never very good at this shopping thing in the first place."

"Well, thank you for the effort and the scarf, Ron," said Ginny smiling. "I appreciate them both." Ginny went through her presents one by one, thanking each person for the gift before moving onto the next. Finally she opened the last gift from Katie and, after saying thanks for the gift, she looked around expectantly and raised an eyebrow at Harry. Harry smirked and removed himself from his position of leaning against the wall. He walked up to her slowly, watching as she almost bounced in anticipation of the present he was about to give her. When he stopped before her, he pulled the hand holding her birthday present around from behind his back and handed it to his lovely wife.

"Happy Birthday, Gin," Harry smiled, knowing full well what kind of reaction that would garner. And he wasn't disappointed. Hermione and Katie gave out soft gasps and quickly scooted away from Ginny on the couch. The twins dived behind two armchairs that happened to be nearby without hesitation and Ron stumbled back so quickly he fell over the coffee table, waving his arms in front of his face as if to ward off an incoming blow. It took all of Harry's willpower not to burst out laughing at the scared looks on the faces around the room.

Ginny gave her husband a meaningful look, knowing that he was just trying to create a scene but played along anyways. "Why thank you, Harry," she said accepting the offered present with a smile. Harry saw Fred and George peaking out from behind the armchairs, curious as to why Harry was still in the land of the living despite the fact that Harry had called Ginny by her most hated nickname. Ron sat up painfully from his position on the floor and Hermione and Katie relaxed slightly, all wondering about why Ginny had not blown up yet but not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Removing the silver wrapping paper, Ginny looked at Harry's present to her. It was a small book – the outside had Ginny's name embroidered on it in gold thread but when she tried, she found she could not open it. Ginny looked up at her husband for an explanation.

Harry spoke softly, "It's a dairy." Ginny shuddered at the remembrance of last year. The guilt of allowing herself to be controlled by Tom so easily would never leave her but Harry knew that with help she would work through it. "It's keyed into your magical signature and no matter what you write in there, only you can read it. So feel free to write anything you want in there. To open it, just press the bottom corner there and it will open for you, no one else. It also has a paper extension charm on it so you can write in there for as long as you live and never run out of paper."

Ginny ran her hand over the diary before opening the diary and looking at the first page. Written in Harry's small, neat print was a note for her.

_ My darling wife,_

_ May this diary help you through all the rough times we have ahead and the ones we have had before. Know that I have always and will always love you more than life itself. No matter what lies in my future, the happiest day of my life will always be the one where you said 'I do.' With all my love,_

_ Harry_

Ginny tried to speak but couldn't form the words in her mouth. She looked at her husband with tears in her eyes and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in his chest. "Oh, Harry," she cried, her tears soaking his shirt. Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny's petite form and held her to him, letting her tears take their course. He shot a quick warning glance at Katie who took the hint and got the rest of the guests moving on to bed, the prefects agreeing and helping her. Harry ran his hand through her hair as held her close to him. Goddess, how he missed holding her like this. It was difficult to be so close, to see each other everyday and then have to act like nothing more than distant friends.

His redheaded beauty pulled away from him and smiled at him, "Thank you, Harry. I love it."

"I'm glad that you do." Harry looked over the party mess in the now empty common room and waved his hand once. In an instant, everything was clean and Ginny's presents tucked up neatly on the table. He turned to Ginny and gave her another hug and kissed the top of her head. "Night, Gin. Happy Birthday." Harry turned around and started to head to the boy's dormitories before a pair of slender arms wrapped around him from the back, his hands fell to cover hers at his waist.

"Harry," Ginny said, her voice muffled as she spoke into his back. "Stay with me…tonight, please…I-I want to be with you." Harry sighed; doing something like this in Hogwarts was risky business. The chances of getting caught were high even for them. But truth be told, he wanted to be with Ginny as much as she with him. "Please, Harry? I've missed you."

Any resolve that Harry had left was washed away by the pleading in her voice. He would never deny her anything as long as it was in his power to do so. He turned and gave her a sizzling kiss. Ginny returned it with just as much vigor and started to pull him to the couch that sat behind them. Harry stopped her and shook his head. He swept her up into his arms and walked over to the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Harry just smiled and pushed a sequence of bricks next to the fireplace. A door appeared in the wall next to him and Harry carried her through it. The walked down a small tunnel at the end there was another door leading into a warmly lit room with a desk, drawers, and a comfortable looking bed on one side of the room. "Where are we, Harry?" she asked again.

"This, my love, is the Gryffindor Head Girl Room which is pleasantly unoccupied this year." He carried her over the bed and laid her down softly before they changed back to their real selves. Ginny grabbed his head in her hands and placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. His hands roamed over her body, setting her skin on fire and she arched back as he kissed that tender spot on her neck that made her insides melt. Harry quickly relieved her of her shirt, the rest of their clothes following shortly. The night was too short for the both of them, as sweat glistened on their bodies and each calling out the other's name in the darkness.

* * *

Remus Lupin, werewolf and Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, watched as his friend's only son fought off a boggart-turned-dementor with all his strength. The elder man wished with all his might that Harry didn't have to deal with the events that were playing out before him but he knew that Harry would have to face the truth one day and as patient as he was, Remus believed in dealing with things sooner rather than later.

That didn't mean he would have to let Harry deal with them unprepared however which was why he found himself in the empty Defense classroom teaching The-Boy-Who-Lived how to produce a Patronus. It was a tricky bit of magic that most witches and wizards could not even do. Not only did it require a goodly amount of power, but it called for the caster to focus his or her entire being on driving away the foul beast. In effect, it was almost a battle of wills between the dementor and the spell castor with the dementor having a distinct advantage.

Yet here Remus was, watching a thirteen year old producing a patronus that would put most aurors to shame. And he wasn't just doing, he was doing it absolutely perfectly. Harry's back was straight but his knees bent slightly and his entire body was tensed so as to be ready to move any which way in the blink of an eye. His face was devoid of any emotion, showing absolutely no weakness even in the face of the personification of fear itself. He was a loaded weapon with the safety catch off. It was a stance and readiness that only those who were trained fighters possessed. Remus had seen it on many people during the war with Voldemort and knew that he too on occasion had adopted that deadly stance. Never before had he seen it on a child.

But what scared him to the very depths of his soul was that this stance…this aura of combat that surrounded Harry looked and felt as if it always belonged there. As if he wasn't fully Harry until he was fighting.

Regardless, Remus was extremely impressed with and very proud of Harry. Two weeks ago, Harry would have needed Remus' intervention by this point but now his patronus was successful repelling the dementor. With a quick cry of '_Riddikulus' _and a large crack in the air, Harry had successfully banished the boggart back to the trunk. The young bespectacled boy turned and looked at Remus, face still devoid of any emotion.

Remus plastered a smile on his face and walked foreword, "Excellent job, Harry! I dare say that those dementors won't be giving you anymore trouble, especially if you keep practicing. How do you feel?"

"Better than last time, Professor," Harry replied softly. "I don't feel as drained as I did before."

"Excellent," Remus muttered, "Extremely excellent. Come back to my office and we'll have some tea." Remus turned and led the way to his office. Once inside he quickly conjured up some tea and poured two cups. He handed one to Harry and took a seat. "I must say, Harry," Remus said as he sipped from his cup. "That I am extremely impressed with the way you have progressed against the dementors. I could hardly expect better from any trained adult."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, taking a sip of his own tea. The two sat there for a while, drinking their tea and thinking their own thoughts. It was Harry that broke the silence. "What were they like?"

Remus sighed; he didn't need to ask Harry who he was talking about. He had been wondering how to handle all these questions ever sense Harry had found out that he was friends with his parents. It wasn't that he dreaded answering Harry's questions; it was just that they brought back memories of happier times; times when he wasn't the only faithful Marauder left. "They were some of the nicest people I knew." Remus spoke softly, knowing that Harry would pick up on every word. "Lily and James would never hesitate to help anyone that needed it, even the Slytherins. They were strong too; powerful fighters for the light side. I doubt that even ten of us going at them at once could have bested Lily and James when they worked together.

"I have never had the pleasure of having two greater friends than Lily and James and I doubt that I ever will. Your mother could even get Snape to smile once in a great while and that is no easy task." Remus smiled, "They never let him live it down either. James and Siri –" Remus cut off. Harry didn't ask for his Professor to finish and for that Remus was grateful.

"Why –" Harry tried again. "Why didn't you take me in? I mean…why was I sent to the Dursleys instead of you?"

Another large sigh escaped from the graying Professor, "That…is complicated, Harry. Believe me, I wanted to take you into my home and raise you but there were…issues preventing me from doing so."

"Is it because you're a werewolf?"

Remus gaped at his student, whom was calmly taking another drink of tea like there was nothing to be surprised of. "Ho-How do you…"

"How do I know?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. "It really isn't that difficult to figure out if one pays attention to what goes on around them. I noticed the peculiar form the boggart took when you faced it and after doing a little checking, I noticed that you were always 'sick' during the full moon. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"And you don't mind?" Remus was stunned. Most people wouldn't be in the same room as a werewolf regardless the time of the month.

"Why should I?" Harry said calmly. "You're only a werewolf during the full moon and I would assume that with the Wolfsbane potion that Professor Snape has been supplying you with helps you keep from being the dangerous creature that most people would make you out to be. Despite what happened, you always were and always will be human first."

Remus could only stare in amazement at the young student in front of him who just preached the absolute and pure truth to him. It wasn't everyday that he meet someone as unprejudiced against were creatures as Harry was and it was taking him a second to adjust to the surprise. Harry simply let the man come to terms with what he just heard while waiting for an answer to his first question. Gradually, Remus overcame the shook and looked at Harry. "Yes, Ministry law states that no child may live with a dark creature on the premises and werewolves have been classified as 'dark' for many, many years now. If it was not for that, I would have taken you to my home in the matter of a heartbeat." Remus hung his head, it often bothered him that he could not have taken Harry into custody like Lily and James would have wanted. But people had been up in arms about their savior going to live with an evil being and Harry was left stuck in the horrible Dursley residence.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Professor," Harry said softly. "I don't blame you and I am certain that my parents wouldn't either. They would be proud of you for helping me overcome my weaknesses and being there now."

Remus smiled softly, feeling as if the customary roles had been reversed. Here he was the adult, eighteen years Harry's senior and he was the one being given advice. But Harry's words rang true and for some reason in that instant, Remus felt that Harry was far older and more experienced than he should be. He looked up and met Harry's sparkling green eyes. "So," he said jovially. "How'd you like to hear about the time we caused all the Slytherins to be dressed out in Gryffindor colors for an entire day?"

Harry smiled a small smile and sat his tea down, "I would like that very much."

* * *

It wasn't long after that when Harry first understood just how dangerous Sirius Black really could be. Harry had been wary certainty, but Black was just one man without help or a wand. Yet Black had escaped from Azkaban, a feat that had never been preformed before. If for nothing else, Harry was watchful because of that feat but the mage still felt that he and his wife were safe and secure inside the castle. After all, escaping Azkaban was one thing, entering Hogwarts on one's own and undetected was another.

Harry and Ginny were making their way to Gryffindor tower after lunch and were chatting amicably while Katie shadowed their movements from behind. Harry smiled and gave a small wave to Neville as they passed him in the hall and turned back to his conversation with Ginny, pitching his voice high and squeaking slightly, "'The Dementors send their love, Potter!' honestly is that the best Malfoy can come up with? I've heard better insults from a four year old."

Harry heard Katie guffaw behind him and Ginny chuckled. She turned and looked into a slight shadow that was formed between two suits of armor. "Katie," she said with laughter in her voice. "It's okay to walk with us; you don't have to protect us from back there."

If Harry hadn't been able to sense exactly where Katie was he might have thought that her voice was coming from the very walls themselves, "That wouldn't be proper, ma'am. I can protect you better from here than I can at your side."

Ginny had to fight back a smile. "Very well then," she spoke. "I order you to walk up here with us and have a good time."

Harry choked back his laughter as Katie emerged from the shadows, grumbling under her breath and frowning slightly. It may have looked like Katie didn't like it but Harry and Ginny knew better, Katie treasured all the time they spent together as friends, just as they did. Her father had died in the Dark War leaving her mother to raise Katie as best she could. It was hard for Katie growing up as her mother had to work most of the time in order to support the two of them but they made certain to spend at least two nights a week together, whether it be playing games, listening to the wireless, or simply talking.

Most of the time though, Katie had been alone and it wasn't until she found out that she was a mage that Katie first began to make friends. Harry and Ginny were quick to pick up on that fact when they first truly met her before leaving Phoenix Isle and befriended the shadow mage easily. Katie knew few people that she trusted utterly and they were proud to be among those few.

Harry paused as he waited for the staircase they were on to stop moving. It slowed and stopped with a low rumble and Harry stepped off the stairway, ignoring the friendly argument Ginny and Katie were having over where the best place to protect someone was. A few steps across the landing and up another staircase deposited Harry right in front of the portrait of the fat lady. He was about to speak the password when he got his first good look at the portrait. Harry stopped abruptly only to have Katie and Ginny run right into his back and fall down on the stone floor.

"Ouch," grumbled Ginny as she stood up rubbing her bum slightly. "What did you do that for, Harry? That hurt you know." She gave her husband a slight glare to make certain she was getting her point across but saw that Harry hadn't registered a word she said. She looked in the direction that Harry was staring and heard Katie draw in a hiss of breath. The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait frame, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

Harry shook his head slightly and mumbled to himself, "Who could have done this?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" said a cackling voice. It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing up and down over the stairway and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"Peeves," Harry said calmly. "I have to know who did this. Did you see what happened?"

Peeves cackled some more and started doing loops in the air while singing, "Oh Potter you rotter…"

"Please Peeves," Harry said a little louder this time, "I must know…who did this?" But Peeves just continued to fly around and sing, making Harry grow more and more impatient with each passing moment. Finally, when Peeves was on the third verse of his song Harry snapped. "PEEVES!" he snarled allowing his power to rage and roar freely about him after making a magical sweep of the area to make sure they were alone. The flames of a golden phoenix expanded about him, flapping its wings with slow measure. The mark of the Lord Phoenix. He seemed to swell with power and each word he spoke was as implacable as the tide itself. "WHO. DID. THIS?" Beside him Katie and Ginny followed suit, letting their own magical auras loose and flow around their bodies. Each was powerful in their own right but still dwarfed by the raging inferno the Lord Phoenix was putting out.

Peeves 'meeped' and turned tail to run but Harry was having none of that. "I don't think so…" he muttered. Raising a hand, Harry spun his wrist in a little circle and pulled it back. Peeves' flight was interrupted and the poltergeist was pulled back as quickly as he left. "Now Peeves," Harry said calmly as his eyes bored into those of the ghost. "I command you to tell me who did this?"

It was clear that the Poltergeist was frightened. Any being of magical nature or knowledge understood what the phoenix aura stood for and who Harry was the moment he had let loose his power. This was no student that he was talking to but the Lord Phoenix. A person who not only ruled over all of magic kind but who was more than capable enough to destroy a ghost or poltergeist with a mere thought.

"W-Well, your Phoenix Lordship, S-sir," Peeves stuttered with a low bow. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in and so he slashed her all to pieces in a fit of rage…"

"Who," Harry pressed. "Who did it?"

"It was Sirius Black, milord. I'm sure of it."

Harry sat back stunned. The man that had escaped from Azkaban had somehow made his way here to Hogwarts and had successfully infiltrated the castle in the attempt to get at Harry. "Thank you, Peeves," Harry said. "The rest of the students will be coming out of class soon. I want you to forget that this ever happened and be yourself when the students arrive."

Peeves bowed low once again. "As you wish, My Lord Phoenix," He said before speeding off.

Harry turned to Ginny, "Ginny, I want you to go to Sinistra. Tell her what happened and then I want the both of you to make a full magical sweep of the castle. I want to know if that traitor is still on the grounds."

Ginny nodded, "Yes, dear." She gave Harry a peck on the cheek before hurrying off to the astronomy tower.

After she left, Harry looked at Katie who had a look of open shock on her face. Considering the usual expressionless mask that she wore, this was saying something. "Y-you're the Lord Phoenix?" she managed to whisper.

Harry sighed, "Yes, and we'll be having a talk about that later but for now, I want you and Cedric to alert the students you have been training and have them ready to fight. I doubt that we will need them but better safe the sorry. I am going to see if I can find the Fat Lady and get as much information from her as I can before Dumbledore locks down the school."

Katie's training took over and she snapped up in a salute. "Yes, Sir," she barked crisply before turning on her heel and striding down the hallway, looking for Cedric.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all made their way up to the castle, having just finished their Defense against the Dark Arts exam and were chatting amongst themselves when they reached the front stairs. They stopped abruptly when they saw what greeted them at the top of the steps. Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pin stripped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry.

"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," said Harry. Hermione and Ron, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background. Harry made a note of this and reminded himself that political training would be needed for both Hermione and Ron in the future. As long as they continued to remain friends with him, they would need to know politics, and how the game was played.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity…pity…" He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry. "I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

Harry sighed; he had been expecting something like this to happen. The Malfoys simply had too much power, too much pull of the current government. Buckbeak had been sentenced from day one.

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping foreword. Harry winced, this had a large potential to get rather nasty.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge looking curiously at Ron

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The hippogriff might get off!"

Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin black mustache. Harry gathered that they were the representatives from the committee as the very old wizard squinted towards Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this…Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

The black mustached man was fingering something in his belt; Harry looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Harry felt the magical aura coming of this man and had to resist the urge to put the man down…hard. Harry could tell that the man know how to handle himself with that axe in a fight and had many hours of practice with it. The way the man moved, looked around, and stood all screamed out to Harry, yelling _ 'Killer!'_ And Harry could tell that the man enjoyed what he did, enjoyed taking the life of something or someone else.

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall. Harry thanked the Goddess for Hermione's timely interruption. "Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"_'Justice is incidental to law and order,'_" Harry quipped. "And in this case, Ron, you must realize that Malfoy controls the strings of law and order…" Harry doubted that Ron would fully understand that but hopefully it would help him later down the line.

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry," said Hermione, she looked slightly upset but was giving Harry sideways glances. She was smart enough to pick up on Harry's use of the quote and its meaning. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak…." But Harry could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying and he knew that she was right to believe that way. By the sun set that evening, Buckbeak would be irrevocably dead.

Harry's and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle Studies. They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione left them on the first floor and Harry and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.

"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them as they went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of _Unfogging the Future_ open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either if you seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.

"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; Harry knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started. The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder they were asked about what had happened but each refused to say.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder towards Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.

"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her" – he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead – "she's a right old fraud."

Harry nodded his head in agreement. He hated divination with a passion. It was a jumble of magic grouped together under one category because no one could tell were the actual origin of the magic came from. It wasn't as if you could simply direct your magical energies into a crystal ball and then see the future. Only a very few people had ever been able to predict the future and only then through a broad view and prophecies that hardly anyone could decipher. Harry was a firm believer of being in control of your own fate.

"Harry Potter!"  
The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball. "Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb….Take your time now…then tell me what you see within it…." Harry bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as he could, willing it to show him something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened. "Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?"

Oh, how he hated divination. "I see…a dark shape…"

"What does it resemble?" whispered the Professor. "Think, now…"

Harry cast his mind around and it landed on Buckbeak. "A hippogriff," he said firmly. He winced the moment the words were out of his mouth, now he was going to have to give some horrid details.

"Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer….Does the hippogriff appear to…have its head."

Harry was about to give a firm no, for the grade of course, when he got a feeling in his gut that told him otherwise. Harry almost groaned out loud. He always got this feeling right before something troubling happened. One of the last times was when Ginny tried to microwave some soup…while it was still in the can. Biting back his previous answer he simply sighed, "Yes."

"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him. "Are you quite sure, dear? You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?"

Harry looked at his teacher, wondering not for the first time if she had some sadist tendencies. "No."

"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"

"No," Harry replied again, wanting nothing more than to get out of this smoke infested sickening room.

Professor Trelawney sighed. "Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there….A little disappointing…but I'm sure you did your best." Relieved, Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. "_IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."_ Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

_"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAD BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT…THE SERVENT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVENT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT…BEFORE MIDNIGHT…THE SERVENT…WILL SET OUT…TO REJOIN…HIS MASTER…"_

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Harry sat there, staring at her, thinking a mile a minute. Then, quite suddenly, professor Trelawney's head snapped up again. "I'm so sorry dear boy," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day you know…I drifted off for a moment…." Harry stood still, staring at her. "Is there anything wrong, my dear?"

Harry shook his head and said, "No…everything's okay Professor. Good day." Harry turned and left by way of the silver staircase. Despite what he had told Trelawney, everything was most defiantly not all right. He knew a real prediction when he heard one and unfortunately that was Trelawney had just given. These type of prophecies almost always came true.

Mulling over her words, Harry realized that things would have to be done. There was only one Dark Lord in recent memory and he would be coming back to power sometime soon. Preparations would have to be made….Harry needed to talk to Ginny.

* * *

Harry and Ginny sat next to each other on the last morning of the year. Each nursing cups of coffee in their hands with their elbows propped up on the tables in identical postures. Even their clothing was slightly alike, both wearing overly large sweaters that ended up covering half of their hands. The pair looked so comparable that had the person who was sitting across from them, Ron, paused in his ritual gobbling of food…he might have taken notice at the similarities and questioned the young couple. As it was, his vision was blocked by egg and the occasion piece of toast.

Both of the Potters were not in the best of spirits that day. The last day of Hogwarts was hard on many people but for the two of them it signified the start of another lengthy separation. Not that the current situation of hiding their relationship from even Dumbledore was a great one. The occasional contact that they had was better than no contact at all, however, and now they would have to endure a two month separation unless Ron could convince his parents to let Harry visit again this summer.

Despite the most recent events, Harry looked back on the year and smiled slightly to himself. It had been fun and eventful, and full of good memories. His favorite by far, was scaring the metaphysical pants off of Peeves. It had meant revealing his status as the Lord Phoenix to Katie, but it was still worth it. Besides she had sworn not to tell anybody, even Cedric or Sinistra.

Harry wordlessly passed his wife some creamer at her unspoken request. He didn't believe in defiling his coffee with extra substances and drank it straight black. It was interesting to note that they had both picked up a taste for the Columbian brew while tea was the more prominent morning drink in Britain. The time they spent intermixing with other cultures on Phoenix Isle seemed to have passed on a few traits and with close consideration, an observing party could pick up on some of them.

It wasn't until Hermione came and joined them at breakfast that the silence was broken. "I've just been to see McGonagall," Hermione said as she sat down next to Ron, across from Ginny. "For goodness sake, Ron! Close your moth when you chew. Anyways…I'm dropping Muggle Studies."

Ron choked on some of his egg, "But you passed that exam with three hundred and twenty percent!"

"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

Harry smiled into his coffee cup. Hermione had learned a big lesson in life this year and he was glad to see that she was taking it in stride. No matter how hard anyone tried, they couldn't do everything by themselves. There would always be three hours less in the day than what you needed. Hopefully with this she would realize the importance of asking for help when she needed it. Hermione was far too independent for her own good sometimes.

"I still can't _believe_ you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your _friends._"

Harry and Ginny smirked slightly. They had the look of someone who was very satisfied in the fact that they knew something someone else didn't. _If you think that was a big secret,_ Harry though to himself. _Than just wait till Ginny and I drop our bombshell on you._ Harry felt Ginny's amusement and could tell that she felt the same way.

"I promised I wouldn't tell _anyone_," said Hermione severely. She started buttering some toast and looked across the table, noticing Harry and Ginny for the first time that morning. "Good morning Harry, Ginny," she said brightly.

"Morning Hermione," Ginny replied. Harry just nodded slightly. "Are you all packed and ready?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, "I can't wait to see my parents again. It's been a long time since I've last seen them and I miss them."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see Mum again either," Ron nodded in agreement. "Hogwarts food is good, but nothing beats Mum's home cooking."

Harry smiled, "That's the truth. Your mom keeps trying to stuff me like a turkey every time we meet. She keeps saying that I'm far too short and skinny for someone my age."

"Too right you are," Fred's voice popped up from behind him.

"Yeah," George's voice joined in on the other side. "You're still as short as you were the day you came here, Harry."

"I mean…even ickle Ronniekins and Hermione have grown a few inches. But you and wee Ginny here seem to be stuck in your midget phases."

"Leave him alone guys," Ron spoke up. "It's not his fault he's a short little midget."

Harry, Fred, George all gave Ron an incredulous look. "Boy, who needs enemies when you got friends like these, eh Harry?" said George.

Nodding slightly, Harry looked up into the grinning faces of the twins and motioned to the empty seats around them. "Fred, George…why don't you join us for some breakfast. We can discuss what I'm going to end up doing to Ron for that thoughtless comment of his." Beside him, Ginny giggled at the look of desperation that passed over Ron's face when he realized that he was now facing a teamed Harry and his brothers seeking retribution.

"Why thank you, Harry," Fred exclaimed. "We thought you'd never ask." He sat down at Harry's side and George sat next to Ginny. "So do you guy's have any plans for the summer?" He scooped some eggs onto his plate.

"Got to get in some Quidditch practice," Ron said hurriedly. "Wood's gone next year and I want to have a go at the keeper position." Fred and George looked Ron over.

"I reckon you just might have a shot," George said seriously. "Especially if we give you a hand in prepping."

"I could help too," Ginny spoke up. And George nodded in agreement. "In fact," she continued. "I bet if we get Dumbledore to agree, he'll let Harry come over and he could help you at as well."

Ron burst out, "Yeah, Mate! That would be bloody fantastic!"

Harry smiled at his friend's actions, "Yes that would be fun. We will have to see what the headmaster says." He set down his coffee cup. "I wouldn't mind getting away from the Dursleys again. They won't be very happy after last summer." The collective group chuckled at remembrance of Harry's adventures with Dobby and his Aunt Marge.

"Maybe not…" Hermione spoke up suddenly, a contemplative expression on her face.

"What are you thinking, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Well…Harry, do your relatives watch a lot of news?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "And if I remember correctly Sirius' name was plastered all over the news as an escaped convict, right?" She continued. Harry nodded once again, wondering where Hermione was going with this. "Well you just need to use Sirius' name to scare them. Drop a hint that if you aren't treated better that your escaped convict of a godfather will be by to take names." Hermione said triumphantly.

Harry blinked at her a few times before a large grin swept across his face. "Hermione you are the smartest, greatest, best witch I know! I can't wait to get back there now! This is going to be so much fun."

Hermione blushed under Harry's praise, "Well really…it wasn't much…"

"Don't deflate yourself, Hermione," Ginny spoke up. "You just made Harry's day; be proud."

Harry watched as the group lapsed back into normal conversation, a grin still plastered on his face. Needless to say…this summer was going to be fun.

* * *

**Warden's Rants: **

**Website: **Finally I have posted up my website for all of you to visit. It is rather plain right now but I will start adding more stuff as time goes on. Hopefully it will become a place where I can start posting messages in between chapters and the like, keeping everybody more up to date than FFnet allows me to. The site is wardens-watch(dot)com (Sorry but its a FFnet thing) . I hope you all take a look. For anybody that would like to submit some artwork and the like, e-mail it to me.

**Questions:** Yeah! I have some questions to answer! Keep them coming people.

- Molly and Arthur do know about Harry and Ginny being mages, and married as well. While Molly has sort of…taken it in stride, Arthur is still being protective of his daughter. She is, after all, 'Daddy's little girl,' but he is supportive of course and not belligerently against it.

- Harry and Ginny get some together but not much. Hogwarts is a crowded and close knit family so everybody keeps tabs on everybody else. Keeping any secret is hard and if Harry and Ginny were to sneak off all the time somebody would notice. Remember they are hiding it from _everyone_, including Dumbledore.

- Yes Harry is the top guy. The Lord Phoenix does not have some sort of compulsorily control over magical people…it is more like being a King. He has power, but only through the governments already in place.

- Phoenix time is extremely long (1 Hour : 1 Minute) but life on the Isle is much different. To the residents of Phoenix Isle, life on the outside goes at a ridiculously fast pace. While those on the outside think that everything takes entirely too long to do while on the Isle. It is much like comparing the life of an elder man to that of a young, growing child.

* * *

** Tytianne's Rants**

** Hippogriff and Black:** Yes, Buckbeak is still alive for those of you who are going to ask. The time turner events happened as they did in the book so don't freak out too bad. Remember, just 'cause something from the book isn't here doesn't mean it didn't happen. It just means that nothing about those scenes was changed from the original by Rowling. This plays right into the Disjointed Story theme. It may seem disjointed but really, who wants to reread the books in a fan fiction? Not me and apparently, not most of you readers either! Hehe.

**Ginny Interaction**: Some of you wanted more Ginny and you got it! I hope you like what Warden did with that as much as I did. Someone mentioned that they were confused as to why Arthur stood between Harry and Ginny in the last chapter. Well, if your only daughter showed up married and seven years older would you want them "messing around" anywhere that you could catch them? Remember, to Arthur, Ginny is still eleven.

**Slow Beta: **HEY! I'm not that slow! Well, not usually. This chapter took me some time though. I've been gone the last two weekends and I get to go to a funeral this coming Saturday. Do you suppose I could get away with wearing a Hawaiian print dress and carrying a coconut shell cup around? …..didn't think so. Bummer. And no, I'm not offended by any Slow Beta comments. I find them rather funny actually.


	7. Chapter Seven

* * *

Posted: April 30, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain. 

**The Bonded**

Chapter Seven

Harry stood silently in front of the wizard tents that the Weasley's had brought to the Quidditch World Cup. Off in the distance, he could still hear faint sounds of Irish fans celebrating their recent victory over Bulgaria despite the late hour of the night. The air was quiet in the section of the camp they were in though, as most of the occupants had already retired for the night, leaving their campfires to burn down to embers which still smoldered in the cool night air. Only the soft hoot of an owl or the chirp of a cricket gave any sound that there were conscious creatures in the dark.

He didn't hear her approach, but he felt her. He could never miss her presence, feeling her the moment she walked into a room no matter if he was trying to or not. She came padding up beside him a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to stave of any chill. She stood beside him quietly, her gaze piercing the inky blackness as well as his. After a cursory glance she looked up into the face of her husband. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

Harry nodded. Something was wrong with the night. Nothing had happened yet but they both knew that it was just a matter of time before the situation erupted. The magic around them was tense, subtly so. If they both hadn't been so uneasy about sleeping in a new place, Harry doubted that they would have even noticed it.

They were prepared, however for whatever came. Professor Trelawney's prophecy at the end of the last school year coupled with the warning Harry and Ginny received when they had bonded was enough to have Harry seriously on edge. Over the summer he had spent as much time as he could studying up on Voldemort and the Dark War; reviewing battles and their outcomes, learning his tactics and modus operandi. Voldemort was still out there; Harry had faced him in his first year at Hogwarts and had to be ready to do so again.

Luckily, Cynthia and Dazna had managed to convince the council to have a small team of mages on alert. Should Harry or Ginny ever need their assistance, the task force would be there in a matter of minutes. It would be a big problem indeed if Harry and Ginny couldn't handle it without any assistance. But, as Trelawney had said, the Dark Lord would come back stronger and more powerful than before.

Harry glanced over at Ginny's state of dress and snapped his fingers changing it to the same thing that he was wearing, black fighting pants cinched at the waist and ankles with a tight fitting black turtleneck. "Come on," he said. "Let's check it out. I want to know what's going on." Ginny nodded and deposited the blanket on the ground, following Harry into the darkness. The two crept down the road, jumping from shadow to shadow, pausing to take stock of the situation before moving on. If anyone had been awake, they would have seen a flicker now and then but naught else.

It wasn't until they reached the entrance of the campgrounds that they found what was wrong. Several black-robed figures wearing white masks had just knocked down the Roberts' door and were currently levitating the family out of the house and into the air. "Deatheaters," Ginny hissed, her hands flexing in anger. There were quite a few of them, Harry's initial count stopping at about twenty-one. "What do you think?" Ginny asked at his side. "What are we going to do?"

Harry was thinking fast, so far nobody had been hurt but with twenty Deatheaters all with itchy trigger fingers it would only be a matter of time. Harry and Ginny couldn't confront them outright without risking the Roberts or their positions as mages, nor could they just let things go on as they were. "We get behind them," he spoke softly. "Take out any stragglers one by one to give the wizards a better chance." Ginny nodded and quickly whispered an invisibility spell before moving to flank the Deatheaters on the right. Harry used the same spell and moved opposite Ginny to the left of the mob.

The Deatheaters were laughing and boisterous as they started to walk down the road towards the Quidditch stadium, flipping the Roberts this way and that in the air. They were completely disorganized too so they didn't notice Harry and Ginny take down six of their members swiftly and silently. Harry looked down at the one at his feet and promptly knocked him unconscious. Looking around he saw a can of gasoline sitting by one of the wizard fires. He quickly motioned Ginny over to his side, "Get back to our camp, I'll wake up the rest of the wizards and then come back myself. The ministry can handle it from here and we won't be exposed." Ginny nodded and quickly popped back to their tent. Waving his hand, the can of gasoline rose quickly into the air and another wave promptly lit it on fire. The resulting explosion was enough to wake up most of the camp grounds and Harry teleported back into his bed, sitting up only a moment before Mr. Weasley rushed into the room with his jeans pulled up over his pajamas.

"Get up! Ron – Harry – come on now, get up, this is urgent!"

Harry hopped out of the bed and looked over at Ron, who was groggily getting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "S'matter?" he asked. Harry stared at him incredulously, had he not just heard the explosion? Was there anything this boy couldn't sleep through?

"No time to explain, Son," Mr. Weasley said hurriedly. "Just grab a jacket and get outside – hurry!" Ron did as he was told and hurried out the tent. Once outside, Harry could see that most of the campgrounds were now awake. The Deatheaters were closer to the stadium now, marching slowly along in a tight-nit group. Harry smirked; _They must have realized that there were less of them now._ The Roberts were still being manhandled like puppets and as he watched, one in their number casually blasted a tent out of their way.

Hermione and Ginny came up behind them pulling on coats over their nightdresses. "We're going to help the ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. "You lot – get into the woods, and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!" Bill, Charlie, and Percy were already sprinting away toward the oncoming marchers; Mr. Weasley tore after them. Ministry wizards were dashing in from all directions toward the source of the trouble. The crowd beneath the Roberts family was coming ever closer.

"Harry," Hermione spoke up, "Why are you wearing that?" Harry looked down, while Ginny had changed her clothes back to her nightdress, Harry hadn't the time to do so and was still clad in his fighting clothes. Hoping that the Weasley brothers wouldn't recognize them as the pajamas that Ginny sometimes wore, he quickly ignored the question and focused the group on getting away.

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing Ginny's hand and starting to pull her towards the wood. The rest of the group followed, looking back once more before they hit the tree line. The crowd below the Roberts was larger than ever; they could see the Ministry wizards trying to get through it to the center, but they were having great difficulty. It looked as if they were scared to perform any spell that might make the Roberts family fall. "Unorganized and unprepared…" Harry muttered as they dove into the trees, he felt Ginny squeeze his hand in agreement. The wizarding world was totally unprepared for any type of conflict beyond that of one or two wizards.

The forest was dark and crowded with people trying to get away. It was a mob, people pushing others to get away, climbing over fallen comrades to put as much distance between themselves and the altercation going on back at the camp sites. Harry heard Ron yelp with pain before a painful sounding thump resounded about the clearing. He pulled Ginny a little closer to him and whispered in her ear, "Go with Fred and George, and be safe." He gave her a quick kiss in the darkness before turning back to Ron.

"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously. "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid – _ lumos_!" She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.

"Tripped over a tree root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them. Ron and Hermione turned sharply while Harry simply looked over his shoulder to look at his self proclaimed nemesis. Draco was leaning against a tree looking utterly relaxed, watching the scene at the campsite through the trees. Ron let off a few colorful expletives that Harry wondered where his friend had come across, especially that last one.

"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along now? You wouldn't want _her_ spotted, now would you?" He nodded at Hermione and at the same time another explosion rocked the campsite, a flash of green light blinding them all for a second. Harry cursed inwardly; they were throwing killing curses around now.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly. Harry sighed; some of Ron's traits were being passed onto the girl. Wasn't it obvious what the blond boy meant?

"Granger, they're after _Muggles_," said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around…they're moving this way and it'd give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch," Ron snarled.

"Whatever, Weasley," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think that they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

"You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron.

Harry sighed again; they really needed to get moving. The mob of Deatheaters was getting closer by the minute. "Not worth it, Ron," Harry spoke up. "Let's get going. We need to catch back up with Ginny and the rest." The trio followed the dark path deeper into the woods, keeping an eye out for Fred, George and Ginny. Eventually they came to a clearing in the heart of the wood. Harry spread his magical senses to see if he could feel anyone in the near vicinity but came up with nothing. "Might as well stay here," he told Ron and Hermione. "We'll be ready for anybody coming close."

Ron sat down on a dry patch of grass at the base of a tree and pulled out his small figurine of Victor Krum. Like the real Krum, the model was slightly duck-footed and round-shouldered, much less impressive on his splayed feet than on his broomstick. Despite these quick observations, Harry's attention was focused on their surroundings and what was going on in the campsite. From the amount of raw magical energy being let off in that direction it was apparent that the riot was still in progress.

"I hope the others are okay," said Hermione after a while.

"They'll be fine," said Ron.

"Those poor Muggles, though," said Hermione nervously. "What if they can't get them down?"

"They will," said Ron reassuringly. "They'll find a way."

"Mad, though, to do something like that when the whole Ministry of Magic's out here tonight!" said Hermione. "I mean, how do they expect to get away with it? Do you think they've been drinking or –" But she cut off abruptly as Harry raised a hand to silence her.

_Where did that come from?_ Harry referred to the magical signature that had just appeared in the trees to his left. _There wasn't anybody there a second ago._ He trained his eyes in the direction of the signature but saw nothing. "Who's there?" he called out.

But instead of a name a deep voice responded with, "MORSMORDRE!" At this, a vast glowing green skull erupted from the woods to float in the air above them, a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation. _The Dark Mark…_

Suddenly, the wood all around them erupted with screams. Harry understood the fear and realized what a bad position they were in. Turning quickly he already saw Hermione pulling Ron to his feet. Harry looked into her eyes and saw that she too understood the urgency to leave. Before they could get anywhere however, Harry felt twenty some odd wizards apparating in around them in a loose circle. Harry didn't even think, "Down!" he shouted, creating a heavy mass of air above Ron and Hermione forcing them to the ground.

"STUPEFY!"

* * *

Harry stepped into the entranceway of Hogwarts and felt the slight tingle of the wards as they passed over his skin. Closing his eyes, he let the ancient magic of the castle wash over him, feeling it battle with his own magical energies for dominance. He let it continue on going through his very skin until the slight pain of warring energies began to grow larger and he forcefully blocked out the magic of the castle. He always felt better after connecting with the latent energies in the castle despite the slight pain that accompanied the act. 

He paused there for a moment, looking around him as students continued to pour into the castle not pausing to notice the magic going on about them. It saddened him somewhat to see that even third year students, some only having two years of magical experience were used to the feeling and promptly ignored it. The presence of magic around them not even perceived.

Hermione seemed to notice that Harry had stopped and turned to face one of her best friends. "What's wrong, Harry?" she asked, stepping up beside him.

Harry gave her a small smile. "It's sad," he said softly, continuing to watch the influx of students.

"What's sad?"

Harry waved his hand over the multitude of bobbing heads walking to and fro. "This is," he spoke. "Look at them all, about half of them are still new to the magic world but they have grown accustomed to the feeling, taking it for granted."

"Taking what for granted, Harry?" Hermione was truly curious.

"Hermione," Harry continued. "This castle is well over a thousand years old. Some of the worlds most powerful witches and wizard have trespassed these hallways, slept in these dorms, taught in these class rooms. Hundreds of thousands of students have learned the workings of magic here and they have all left their mark. These walls of stone have been exposed to so much magic that they have absorbed it and let it permeate the castle. Can you tell me that you don't feel it?"

Hermione nodded her head; she knew what Harry was talking about. The moment she had walked into the castle she had felt a tingling feeling at the base of her neck, a sensation she normally associated with returning to the wizarding world. Without its influence during the summer holidays, she was always more aware of the magic in the air when she went to Diagon Alley or The Burrow.

"The magic around us is ancient, Hermione, and it seeks to mix with all of us but we block it out, ignore it. Sure it fights with us, trying to get us to accept the natural magic around us, but without conscious thought it is easily overcome by our own energies. Not destroyed, merely held at bay. Imagine, being able to take the very magic of the castle and produce a single spell, any spell. To let the magic flow through you, be a conduit, to become the magic itself and think of what that one spell would be capable of…" Harry trailed of with a small smile on his face, as if he was playing the results of that spell over in his mind.

Hermione's face had a scared look on its face, "B-but the amount of power in such a spell would burn any magical user out. Our bodies would cook from the inside out, destroying us completely."

"Yes," Harry nodded, "but if it was for the world, would it not be worth it?" Harry didn't wait for her answer and started walking once more towards the Great Hall, leaving a shocked Hermione standing in the entranceway.

* * *

When Harry awoke the day after Halloween, it took him a moment to recall the events of the day before. _I am a fourth contestant._ He thought somewhat bitterly. _ Figures something like this would happen…I mean after all, I'm Harry Potter._ He threw the covers off of himself and pulled the curtains apart on his bed. Looking in the dorms he could see that the other boys were still sleeping peacefully, including Ron. Harry knew that Ron was upset over Harry receiving more attention yet again but he thought it was a little extreme to totally disbelieve your best friend like he had. But he wouldn't dwell on it, Ron was still young and with age comes experience and with experience comes wisdom. 

Harry cinched his pants off at the ankles and pulled on a loose shirt. He grabbed his sword from under his bed and walked down the stairs to the common room to see Ginny up and waiting for him already. Harry raised an eyebrow, "You're up early."

Ginny shrugged and Harry noticed that she too was wearing a workout outfit. "I figured that after what happened yesterday you would want to work out some extra frustrations this morning and sparring is the best way to do that."

Harry gave her a smile, the sharing of memories when they bonded and subsequent years of marriage gave both of them a deep understanding of one another. They were able to tell exactly how the other was feeling through the bond and knew exactly what to do to help one another when they were feeling down. Sometimes having two emotions running through your body like that was a little bit disconcerting but Harry didn't care. He wouldn't trade the bond for anything. He held out his hand and she took it. "Come on," he said quietly, "Let's go practice."

At this early hour, the occupants of the castle were still slumbering peacefully in their bed or portrait frames so Harry and Ginny made no attempt to hide their relationship from people that were not there. Hand in hand, the pair left the sanctuary of the castle and headed out across the grounds towards the high flying stands that surrounded Hogwarts' Quidditch pitch. Without words, they quickly went through some stretching exercises before facing off from one another, ten meters apart. Harry had left his sword leaning against one of the thick beams that held up the stands and stood in a relaxed stance that emphasized defense over offense. Ginny was much too fast for Harry, especially when they were going hand to hand like this.

After a short moment it was Ginny that made the first move. Keeping it slow, she made an obvious forward attack with a straight punch, Harry quickly dodged and tried to give a quick rabbit punch to her side but found that she was no longer there. A spin kick that connected with his kidneys announced Ginny's presence and Harry dropped to the ground in a leg sweep.

What was truly eerie about the whole process was that despite the obvious exertion that the pair was putting out, the entire pitch was silent. Not a word was uttered nor a step heard while the two fought in this relaxed manner. No war cries, stomps of defiance, or heavy impacts with the ground echoed through the morning air for such noises were below two fully trained war mages. If it were not for the chirping of birds during the steely dawn hours, one would thing that a silencing charm had been cast over the sporting area.

Harry felt the tension leaving his body as he avoided another punch from Ginny. The years of difference in age had not stopped Harry from becoming very good friends with Ron and he had to admit to himself, that his friend's disbelief had hurt. Harry had wanted nothing better to do than sit in the stands with everyone else and participate in a little friendly wagering among classmates over who would be winning each task. Yet that did not happen and now his best mate was abandoning him.

Harry winced as Ginny's knee connected with his stomach. He smiled as he grabbed the offending appendage and used it to throw his beloved off balance. He watched her trying to correct her mistake and smiled once again at the look of determination in her eyes. Harry had often wondered about what he ever did to deserve Ginny. But try as he might he could find no actions that seemed to be extraordinary or selfless, that had the power to win Ginny's heart. Regardless of how it happened, he knew that every moment he spent with Ginny was one to be treasured. As mages, they would live for a long time and Harry was determined to have many more moments with Ginny before their time was up.

So far into his contemplation, Harry had not noticed that he had worked himself into a rhythm while fighting. The fact was made painfully known to him when Ginny disrupted his rhythm and slammed him into the ground with a vicious judo throw and kept him there by way of an excruciating arm lock. "Oof," the air rushed out of Harry as he impacted with the unbending earth. "Alright, alright, I give." His voice muffled by the ground.

Ginny released the arm lock and helped her husband stand up. Her face glowing with the excitement of another victory, for against Harry, they were definitely few. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, Harry didn't often make mistakes like that when they spared.

Harry brushed the dirt off his pants before standing completely up and waving the question aside. "I'm fine," he assured her. "I just wasn't paying enough attention to the fight is all."

Ginny nodded and snaked her arm around him. "I'm sorry about Ron, Harry," she spoke softly. "I wouldn't have thought that my brother could be that…well…"

"Don't worry about it, love," Harry said. "It's not your fault that he is acting like this. Besides, he'll come around with time." Ginny nodded and the two stood there in silence for a while, watching the sun rise up over the forbidden forest, casting its warming rays over the land and banishing the gloominess. Ginny stood in front of Harry, her back to him with his arms wrapped around her waist and her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder. Both as still as statues despite the soft wind blowing against their clothing.

Ginny reluctantly pulled away from the embrace and turned to face Harry. "Hermione's coming," she spoke softly. "She probably wants to talk to you and it would be best if we weren't seen together anyhow." She gave him a quick kiss and muttered an invisibility spell before Harry felt her presence leave. He dropped to the ground and laid back, hands behind his head, and watched the various clouds float by. It wasn't long before the swishing of robes and light footfalls on the ground alerted Harry to Hermione's presence.

"Hello," she said, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this….I though you might be hungry."

"Thanks," Harry said giving her a warm smile and accepting the toast. She sat down beside him and Harry placed the toast in between them so they could share. Harry started to fill her in on the details of what happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. Hermione seemed to accept the story without question.

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber of the hall, "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is who _did_ put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry…I don't think a student could have done it…they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's age line…"

Harry nodded in agreement before asking, "Have you seen Ron this morning?"

Hermione hesitated. "Erm…yes…he was going to breakfast," she said.

"Does he still think that I entered myself?"

"Well…no, I don't think so…not really…" said Hermione awkwardly.

"I see…" Harry muttered.

"Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said despairingly.

"Hmm?" Harry mumbled at her outburst. "Oh you mean the fact that he is jealous? Yes, it's quite obvious." Hermione didn't know what to say to that. "Look, Hermione," Harry said seriously. "I know that Ron is jealous but I don't exactly know why."

"Well…" Hermione said. "It's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault and I know you don't ask for it…but – well – you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compare against at home. You're his best friend, and you're really famous – he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it. He never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many…"

Harry looked at Hermione incredulously. _He…puts up with it…?_ he thought. _ Puts…up with it._ He looked carefully at the bushy haired girl that sat next to him. "Hermione," he said. "Please, Hermione. Tell me that you don't honestly believe what you just said. Please…tell me."

Hermione looked down out the ground and fiddled with the hem of her robes. "Well…"

Harry didn't let her finish. "Hermione, you are like a dear sister to me but there are still many things that you need to learn."

Hermione seemed to get defensive, "Like what?"

"Look at the world around, Hermione. What is the governing force of all things? What is it that keeps this world going and saving it from utter destruction? Why is it, that despite the hundreds of dark lords that have risen up through history, we are still a free and prosperous people?" Hermione remained silent. "It is the force of balance. For each and every action there must be an opposite reaction, a consequence. Everyone sees me as the Famous Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, but what they don't see is the Harry Potter that grew up without parents and lived with relatives who hated him for what he was and what he represented. They don't see the Harry Potter that grew up alone and without love or friendship. My parents' lives and my happiness as a child was the cost of this fame. Everything in life comes down to maintaining this balance; no one is immune from it."

Hermione spoke up, "But what about things like what happened last night? Where is the balance in that act? Where is the balance of more fame?"

"I think that loosing one's best friend seems to be ample payment don't you?"

Hermione sat there, thinking over Harry's words. She tried to place herself in his shoes and found that his words did ring with truth. She would much rather stay friends with Ron and Harry than gain more unwanted fame. It was such a simple outlook on life but it went deeper and answered more questions than anything else she had encountered.

"Ron may be overshadowed by some of his brother's actions but in balance he has the fact that there are shadows there for him to hide in if he wanted to. He has a family that loves him and would do anything in their power to makes sure that he is alright." Harry gave Hermione a small squeeze on her shoulder and stood up from the ground. "I am not going to sit around and make Ron grow up. He is going to have to do that on his own and hopefully things will go back to being the way they were." Harry turned and started walking towards the school at a leisurely pace.

_But if there is a balance to everything…_ Hermione thought to herself. _What would be the consequence of gaining Ron's friendship once more?_

* * *

"Dragons!" Madam Pomfrey snorted with disgust as she sat Harry down on the bed that was waiting for him. She examined his shoulder, injured in a literal brush with the furious Hungarian Horntail that Harry had found himself pitted against, and muttered furiously to herself all the while. "Last year Dementors, this year dragons, _what_ are they going to bring into this school next?" She finished poking and prodding his throbbing shoulder and pulled out a small vial of a dark purple balm. "You're very lucky," she told him, dipping her finger into the container. "This is quite shallow," she explained as she began to dab the medicine on the wound, "it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though..." 

Harry glanced to one side as his shoulder smoked and stung under her ministrations. He could see a shadow through the canvas wall of his cubicle, definitely Fleur if the feminine curves of the figure were any indication. "How are the others?" he asked Pomfrey as she waved her wand over his cleansed injury.

"The others are fine" she said, examining her work, "A little singed around the edges, but not too badly as you. You're the worst of the lot – dragons_ I ask you!_ – but nothing that can't be fixed." The Hogwarts nurse bustled out of Harry's cubicle, "Just sit quietly for minute - SIT! You can go and get your score then."

Harry, however, was far too exhilarated by his victory to remain sitting about. He gingerly rose to his feet, inspecting his shoulder as he made his way to the mouth of the tent. Aside from a slight redness and the occasional twinge, he was as good as new. Madame Pomfrey was one of the most skilled healers he had ever come across, certainly she could end up making much more money at a hospital of some sort but she stuck around Hogwarts. Harry assumed that she probably enjoyed the company of kids even if they were injured when they came.

Just before he reached the entrance to the tent flap, people started to rush in; all talking with excited voices over the action they had just seen. A moment later, he registered two different colored blurs rushing at him before he was almost tackled to the ground, being hugged on both sides. Looking to his left he saw Ginny attached to him and on his right, it was Hermione.

"Harry, you were _brilliant_!" Hermione exclaimed as she almost crushed his ribs, "You were amazing! You really were!"

Harry laughed and wrapped his arms around both of the girls, hugging them back with just as much ferocity. Picking them up by the waist he twirled them around a couple times and laughed even louder as they started to squeal in protest. He sat them back down and gave them an apologetic smile, "Sorry."

"S'kay," said Ginny giving Harry another hug. He looked into her eyes and saw the few tear stains on her cheeks. Unwrapping his arm from Ginny's waist he wiped them away with his thumb. "You scared me," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," Harry replied. "I didn't mean to."

"You scared us both, Harry," Hermione said on his other side. "Don't ever do anything like that again."

Harry hugged them both once more, "I'm sorry girls. I didn't mean to scare you like that. It won't happen again, I promise." Harry was about to say something else when a throat was softly cleared in front of him. Harry glanced up and saw Ron standing only a few feet away, his face pale as chalk and bearing an embarrassed, anxious, uncertain and yet also serious expression all at the same time.

"Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet – I – I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

Harry's eyes widened at the unspoken implication that he should just forgive and forget. Judging by the anger radiating off of Ginny in waves, he figured that she caught it too. She started to detach herself from Harry's side and, from the slight narrowing of her eyes, it looked like she was to take some major retribution against Ron. But Harry didn't want her to be involved in this predicament so he quickly tightened his grip on her to prevent her from going after her brother. She looked up at him in surprise only to see him shake his head softly. He let go of the two girls and walked until he was about a foot away from Ron.

"Caught on have you?" said Harry coldly. "Took you long enough." Ron visibly flinched back from the ice in Harry's voice. "I suppose now that you see that I'm not doing this for some sort of fame trip and you understand that I did not put my name in the goblet that I should forgive you? Forget everything you have said and done for the past few weeks merely because you have come to your senses?" Harry's voice was rising, unheeding of the crowd that was around them.

"Harry…I –" Ron started but Harry didn't let him finish. Stepping forward quickly Harry planted his right fist hard into Ron's gut. With a great big whoosh of air, Ron fell to his knees, gasping and holding his midsection in pain. Hermione tried to step forward but Ginny held her back and several Hufflepuffs nodded in approval. Betraying one's friendship was not taken lightly among the loyal house.

Harry stood over Ron, coldly looking down on his friend as he gasped for air. "I should just leave things be," he said softly. "Just forget that we were ever friends and continue on with my life." Harry crossed his arms over his chest and let out a sigh. "But what kind of friend and person would that make me?" Harry held out one hand and helped Ron of the ground. "C'mon man, get up off the ground and let's go see what my scores were."

Ron looked at Harry nervously and spoke in a timid voice, "Does t-this mean…?"

Harry nodded, "Forget it, Ron. I forgive you." Ron gave him a huge grin and Hermione burst into tears. "There's nothing to cry about!" Harry told her bewildered.

"You two are so stupid!" she shouted, stamping her foot on the ground, tears splashing down her front. Then, before either of them could stop her, she had given both of them a hug and dashed away, now positively howling.

"Barking mad," Ron muttered, most of the guys in the crowd nodding along with him.

* * *

The fire was crackling merrily in the Gryffindor common room on this cold December night. Lieutenant Commander Katie Bell sat contentedly in one of the squashy arm chairs that littered the room. All the rest of Gryffindor had already gone to bed save her two commanding officers whom sat next to one another on the couch beside her. They were currently discussing the Yule ball and the extra security measures they were going to put up. 

"Sinistra hasn't picked up on any large gatherings of Deatheaters so it is unlikely that there will be a large attack. We won't need anything other than passive defenses, a proximity sensor net and an alarm should suffice," Captain Ginny was saying.

"But we should be prepared for the worst," Harry countered. "If they are unneeded…oh well, but we would at least be ready for anything."

"It would be too obvious, Harry." Ginny protested. "Albus could catch on to what we're doing and then where will we be?"

Between the three of them sat the Maraduerer's Map. A device that the Commander had received last year that had quickly became an integral part in their protecting Hogwarts. It had been a slight concern however when Captain Ginny's name showed up as Potter that had them doubting if keeping the map at all was a good idea. The Commander had wanted to destroy it immediately, unwilling to have such a security breach that could put his wife in greater risk.

It had been Lieutenant Cedric who had came up with the brilliant idea to put a simple charm on the map so that any one who read Ginevra Potter would be tricked into thinking that they read Ginevra Weasley. A easy solution to a difficult problem, hopefully they could find one for the problems they were facing now.

"Sir, if I may?" Katie spoke up, directing her question towards Harry. Harry nodded for her to continue. "Sir, Lieutenant Sinistra asked for me to report this to you. Our actions have started to pick up the notice of several students who have connections with former Deatheaters, either their parents or someone else. They have been asking questions about your relationship with Captain Ginny and about any abilities you might have inadvertently shown over the years." She took a deep breath and paused, "Sinistra recommends that we do something to throw them off and keep all of our operations down to a minimum until we can move more freely about again."

Both of her commanding officers sat there in contemplation for a moment before Ginny spoke up, "Well, I guess this means I'll be going with someone else to the ball then." She turned towards Harry. "I think that it is time for you to develop an unrequited love, Harry, preferably one of the more popular girls in school. Lieutenant?"

"Cho Chang, ma'am" Katie answered, catching onto the plan. It was times like this that she really admired her commanding officers. Here was an opportunity for them to be together for at least one night without raising too much suspicion but they were going to put it aside and lose that chance, merely to keep each other a bit safer than usual. And their tactical minds were something else as well, the plan Ginny was proposing was simple and almost foolproof, Katie doubted that even Sinistra would be able to see through it. "She is one of the more popular girls and very attractive as well, nobody would blame a fourteen year old boy for trying."

"Good," Ginny continued, nodding slightly as she sketched out the details. "She'd be in your year right?" Katie nodded. "We'll have Lieutenant Diggory ask Chang to the ball and then Harry can do the same a few days later. When she turns him down Harry will be forced to go with some random person and that should throw off anybody who thinks that we have any type of relationship. Meanwhile I'll just go with whoever asks me."

"And he better behave himself," Harry growled. "Or we will have a little 'chat' over proper manners."

Ginny smiled, "It'll be okay, Harry. Just make sure you save me a dance at the ball okay?"

Katie piped up, "Yeah me too, Commander." Harry laughed at them both.

* * *

Harry greeted Hermione with a warm smile as she sat down next to where Harry and Ron were sitting. The ball was going fairly well as most dances go he had chatted amicably with several of the participants and danced with Parvati a few times. Looking around he saw Ginny making her way over to them with Neville from the other side of the hall. 

"It's hot, isn't it?" said Hermione, fanning herself with her hand. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."

Ron gave her a withering look. "_Viktor?_" he said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "What's up with you?" she said.

"If you don't know," said Ron scathingly. "I'm not going to tell you."

Hermione stared at him, then at Harry, who shrugged. "Ron what –"

"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You – you're –" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "_fraternizing with the enemy,_ that's what you're doing!" Harry was impressed; he didn't think Ron would have known what that word meant.

Hermione's mouth fell open. "Don't be so stupid!" she said after a moment. "The _enemy_! Honestly – who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"

Ron chose to ignore this. "I suppose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"

"Yes, he did," said Hermione, the pink patches on her cheeks glowing more brightly. "So what?"

"What happened – trying to get him to join spew, were you?"

Harry saw Ginny and Neville reach their table and sit down on his left side, across from the arguing Ron and Hermione. Ginny looked at the feuding pair and looked to Harry for an answer. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked back to his friends.

"No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he – he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try to talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Hermione said this very quickly, and blushed so deeply that she was the same color as Parvati's robes.

"Yeah – well that's his story," said Ron nastily.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Obvious, isn't it? He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with….He's just trying to get closer to Harry – get inside information on him – or get near enough to jinx him –"

Harry, Ginny, and Neville all gave a collective wince at Ron's outburst. Harry didn't know if Ron realized it or not but he had just as well told Hermione that she wasn't pretty, intelligent, or important enough to attract the attention of Victor Krum on her own. That Harry was the only reason someone was paying any attention to her at all. Unwilling to stay and listen to the rest of the argument Harry stood and walked over to Ginny holding out his hand. "Would you do me the honor of having this dance, Ginny?" he asked her with a slight smile.

She smiled back and took his hand, "Of course, Harry."

He helped her up and turned to Neville. "You don't mind if I borrow your date for a bit, do you?"

"No, I'll go get us some drinks okay?" the slightly rotund boy spoke.

"Thank you, Neville," Harry said, leading Ginny to the dance floor. She was wearing resplendent robes of dark silver that mixed well with Harry's deep green ones. Not wanting to deal with wearing old fashioned second hand robes like Ron, Ginny had borrowed some of Katie's for the occasion. Harry had suggested that he buy her some new ones but she argued that it would be too suspicious. Either way, Harry thought she looked fantastic and told her so several times as they made their way to the center of the dance floor.

The Weird Sisters had just started playing an old wizarding classic at the request of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, who had also just walked out onto the dance floor. Harry and Ginny recognized both the tune and the dance that the two were dancing while a small circle formed around the aged teachers. Harry looked over at Ginny, eyes dancing and an impish grin on his face. "Shall we show them how it's done?" he asked with a smile.

"We can't give too much away, Harry," Ginny said back.

"Don't worry," Harry said with a laugh, "this is an old, traditional tune. Nobody will get too suspicious over us knowing about it." He took up one over her small hands in his and wrapped his other arm snugly around her waist. Ginny stepped closer to him, her free hand resting on his chest, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Ready?" Harry asked. At seeing her nod, Harry waited for the correct strains in the music before stepping off into the moderate beat with a sure stride.

Dancing lessons were a requirement of all warrior mages, both the classical and modern style. Balls and ceremonies were common functions and the ability to blend in with a dancing crowd could allow one to gather a large amount of information. Harry had known that Ginny had always loved to dance and so took particular time to learn how to do it well during his sessions on Phoenix Isle.

The motions of the dance came unbidden to his mind as he led his beloved around the dance floor. Step, step, pause…step, twirl, step, reverse. The pair almost floated across the floor, their training enhancing the already graceful movements to the point on insubstantiality. It looked as if they were made of air and playing just as frivolously as the morning breeze through the blades of dew swept grass. Ginny's tinkling voice floated around them as she laughed in joy. Unbeknownst to either of them, the small circle that had previously surrounded Dumbledore and McGonagall had expanded to include Harry and Ginny as well. It was not until the final chord reverberated along the great hall and the music ebbed away that the two mages realized that they had unwittingly become part of the show.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore said as he and McGonagall made their way over. "A fine piece of dancing if I may say so, Mr. Potter, Miss. Weasley, I did not realize that traditional dances were still practiced by today's youth. Good job, both of you." At his side McGonagall nodded in agreement, proud that two of her Gryffindors were the ones that danced. A faint flush tended both of Harry's and Ginny's cheeks whether from the dance or embarrassment was unknown but Harry bowed slightly and Ginny gave a formal curtsy before they returned to the champions table. Ron was sitting sullenly, picking at the tablecloth with a fingernail and ignoring the world around him. When they asked about Hermione, his scowl deepened and he turned away. Shrugging it off as the result of the spat, Harry and Ginny sat down while Neville handed them both a butterbeer. Had they taken the time to look around more closely, they would have seen Hermione, standing at the other side of the hall, eyes narrowed, staring at the spot where Harry and Ginny had just been dancing.

* * *

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast on the day of the third task. The table was fairly noisy with talk of the upcoming task and the current tie between the two Hogwarts champions, Harry and Cedric. There were even a few betting propositions being given to one another among the students. Normally Hermione would have frowned upon such activities but the massive amount of money she heard being bet on Harry gave her pause. Just what were the chances of Harry coming out of this tournament on top? 

When Hermione was a child, she could often be seen putting together a puzzle or reading some type of mystery novel. It was one of her favorite things to do. Take the pieces of something and find out how to put them together to see what they look like as a whole to solve the puzzle, the mystery. And right now, Harry was the mystery. She had been good friends with Harry for four years now and she knew his mannerisms and patterns. Years of correcting his homework and helping him with projects had given her a good view on how he thought and the way he did things. But lately her tapestry of Harry was coming undone and she didn't know why.

It had only been a few sporadic instances over the years, little things that she had brushed off at the time but now seemed to be very important. In her first year, under the trapdoor, Harry seemed to know exactly what he was doing and how to get there past all the traps. As if he could do it in a heartbeat but decided not to so she and Ron could prove themselves. And in their third year when Harry had confronted Sirius, she felt as if Harry wanted nothing better to do then snap his godfather like a twig and from the look on his face, Hermione had believed that he probably could.

It was this year more than all of them, however, that made Hermione rethink her ideas about Harry. During the Quidditch world cup and facing the dragon, he had seemed fearless in the face of injury or death. Later on after the first task, Hermione had asked Harry about his extreme courage and why he wasn't afraid of anything to which he replied with a smile on his face and a quote, "_'Courage is doing what your afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared.' Everybody, is afraid of something, Hermione. But we must control the fear; rule the fear lest it rules us._"

That was yet another thing that was irking Hermione, Harry had always been fond of quotes but they now had deeper meanings to them than before. Several times, Hermione had seen his recent reports and papers written with a conciseness and grace that would make college students jealous. When Ron had stopped talking to him, he had handled it with a maturity that was almost shocking and given Hermione a new philosophy to contemplate while he was at it. All these instances started to make Harry seem too knowledgeable, too intelligent…too…too _wise._

Hermione looked to her right where Ginny was sitting staring at Ron in disgust as he shoveled food into his mouth. The redheaded girl looked as if she had seen better days. Her entire face had a tired haggard look to it that was accentuated by the sleepy slump in her shoulders. Hermione knew that Ginny figured into this problem somehow as well. Little things kept happening between Harry and Ginny, like the dance at the Yule ball. The bushy haired student wasn't certain about what was going on but there seemed to be some sort of connection between her two friends.

She looked up and saw Harry sit down at the table across from Ginny looking just as tired and haggard. Ron gave a quick good morning before turning his full attention back to his breakfast. Harry loaded his plate with a few pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice before turning to look at Ginny.

Now, it should be said in their defense that both Harry and Ginny were extremely tired that morning having spent most of the night checking up on the defenses of the castle. So when they lapsed into conversation their subconscious minds took note that they were in the presence of others and took steps so their dialogue would not be understood. As it was though, their conscious minds were not exactly up to par so what they did next was a mistake.

"Kaigi no shishin o yomimashita ka." (Did you read the council's message?) Harry mumbled in flawless Japanese. Hermione was so shocked to hear Harry speaking a different language, let alone one as difficult to learn and master as Japanese, that she almost missed Ginny responding in kind.

"Hai, Davis-sanjikan wa anata o daikirai desu nee." (Yes, Elder Davis hates you, you know.) Now Hermione was really floored, Ginny was speaking Japanese as well! Hermione didn't know how or why they were speaking this language but she listened more attentively to what they were saying, hoping to derive something from their tones since she couldn't understand what they were saying.

"Komatte hito." (He is a nuisance.)

Ginny appeared to be thinking Harry's answer over before saying, "Anata no kurai o koga wa shinkokuka masu. Tori wa karau…" (When you reveal your position he could become a bigger problem. Will you deal with him?)

Harry shrugged, "Enakereba masu." (If necessary.) The conversation petered out as they continued to eat their breakfast while Hermione was thinking fast.

_I knew that there was something going on with those two and this proves it!_ she thought excitedly. _But what is going on, and how do they both know how to speak a different language? _Hermione couldn't find any immediate answers though but she wouldn't leave it at that. She resolved to corner the pair and ask some questions after the tournament.

* * *

Harry felt his feet slam into the ground; his injured leg gave way, and he fell forward; his hand let go of the Triwizard Cup at last. He raised his head. "Where are we?" he said. Harry expended a slight amount of energy to scan his immediate surroundings. He was acutely aware that his entire trek through the maze had been magically monitored and projected for the audiences in the stands to see. He had to be careful not to show any above average abilities that would attract the attention of his teachers. 

Cedric helped his Commander to his feet, scanning the area with his eyes. He wasn't sure if this was part of the tournament or not but he was ready to protect his leader in this foreign place. They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles – perhaps hundreds of miles – for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of small church was visible be yond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside.

Cedric looked down at the Triwizard Cup and then up at Harry, "Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" he asked.

"Nope," said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be apart of the task?"

"I dunno," said Cedric. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"

Harry nodded and pulled out his wand, turning around on his spot, scanning all the bushes for hidden adversaries. His back was in the direction Cedric was looking when he felt a spell being hurdled towards him. He spun around on his good foot to see a bright green light rushing through the air towards him.

"Sir!" Cedric called out and dived into the path of the deadly spell.

It felt like an eternity. Like the entire world was slowing down as the distance between his Lieutenant and the killing curse shrunk. Harry could count the individual beads of sweat and see the fierce look of determination on Cedric's face. He heard the wind whistling through the blades of grass. It was forever and it was an instant. Cedric dropped to the ground in front of Harry…dead.

Harry had seen dead people before but those people had been enemies. People who lead despicable lives and preyed on the innocent, people who deserved death. Seeing the blank look in Cedric's wide open eyes brought back images of the Phoenix's Accession. He felt the blood running down his leg and heard the song, that eerie yet beautifully haunting melody of the immortal bird. In his shock, Harry barley noticed the short man binding him to a headstone engraved, TOM RIDDLE.

The cloaked man was conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. Harry could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood; he struggled, and the man hit him across the jaw – hit him with a hand that had a finger missing. And Harry realized who was under the hood. It was Wormtail. "You!" he gasped.

But Wormtail, who had finished conjuring ropes, did not reply; he was busy checking the tightness of the cords, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, fumbling over the knots. Once sure that Harry was bound so tightly to the head stone that he couldn't move an inch. Wormtail drew a length of some black material from the inside of his cloak and stuffed it roughly into Harry's mouth; then, without a word, he turned from Harry and hurried away. Harry couldn't make a sound, nor could he see where Wormtail had gone; he couldn't turn his head to see beyond the headstone; he could only see what was right in front of him.

Cedric's body was lying some twenty feet away. A little ways beyond him, glinting in the starlight, lay the Triwizard Cup. Harry's wand was on the ground at Cedric's feet. A rage began to build up in Harry like never before. He thrice cursed the betrayer and his Lord for all the pain and horror that they had caused. He wanted nothing more than to blast the sniveling Wormtail into oblivion but whether it was purposeful or not, Wormtail had bound him in such a way that Harry could do nothing. With his body bound this tightly, Harry could not use his hand or body to direct any spells and the ones powerful enough to burn the ropes or shatter the tombstone without any direction required an incantation. Harry was helpless and each minute that passed, more blood ran freely from his injured leg.

He could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. Wormtail's fast, wheezy breathing was growing louder again. It sounded as though he was forcing something heavy across the ground. Then he came back within Harry's range of vision, and Harry saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water – Harry could hear it slopping around – and it was larger than any cauldron Harry had ever used; a great stone belly large enough for a full-grown man to sit in.

The thing inside the bundle that Harry had noticed earlier was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself. Now Wormtail was busying himself at the bottom of the cauldron with a wand. Suddenly there were crackling flames beneath it. The large snake slithered away into the darkness. The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface not only began to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of Wormtail tending the fire. The movements beneath the robe became more agitated and Harry heard a high cold voice emit from their depths, "_Hurry!_"

The whole surface of water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds. "It is ready, Master."

"_Now…_" said the cold voice. Wormtail pulled open the bundle of robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them, and Harry felt his stomach churn at the sight. It was as though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind – but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face – no child alive ever had a face like that – flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.

The thing seemed almost helpless; it raised its thin arms, put them around Wormtail's neck, and Wormtail lifted it. As he did so, his hood fell back, and Harry saw the look of revulsion on Wormtail's weak, pale face in the firelight as he carried the creature to the rim of the cauldron. For one moment, Harry saw the evil, flat face illuminated in the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion. And then Wormtail lowered the creature into the cauldron; there was a hiss, and it vanished below the surface; Harry heard its frail body hit the bottom with a soft thud.

Harry wished with all his might that he could do something, anything to stop what was coming to pass. Wormtail was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. _When I get down from here…_Harry growled. _I will give him something to truly be afraid of. Killing out of revenge…I won't do, but killing to save innocent lives…_ Harry let his thoughts trail of and watched as Wormtail raised his wand and spoke to the night.

"_Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"_ The surface of the grave at Harry's feet cracked. Harry watched as a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at Wormtail's command and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue. Harry knew that this ritual had to be of Voldemort's making. Very few spells were in modern English.

And now Wormtail was whimpering. He pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs. "_Flesh – of the servant – w-willingly given – you will – revive – your master._" He stretched his right hand out in front of him – the hand with the missing finger. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward.

Harry watched as Wormtail cut cleanly through his arm at the wrist and heard his scream piercing through the air. He heard the hand hit the ground , heard Wormtail's anguished panting, heard the splash of water as the hand was added to the cauldron. The potion burned a bright red, lighting up the night. Wormtail was gasping and moaning with agony. He slowly made his way in front of Harry.

"_Blood of the enemy…forcibly taken…you will…resurrect your foe._"

Harry could do nothing to prevent it, he was too tightly tied….Squinting down, struggling against the ropes, ignoring the pain that shot up through his leg with every movement, Harry saw the shining silver dagger in Wormtail's remaining hand. He felt its point penetrate the crook of his right arm and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes. Wormtail, still panting with pain, fumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and held it to Harry's cut so that some of his blood fell into it. Harry hopped that he would get a chance to escape soon or he was going to pass out from blood loss alone.

Wormtail staggered back to the cauldron with Harry's blood and poured it in. The liquid within instantly turned a blinding white. Wormtail, his job done dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways, and lay on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing. The cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness. Nothing else happened….

And then suddenly , the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry, so that he couldn't see Wormtail or Cedric or anything but vapor hanging in the air. But then, through the mist in front of him he saw the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.

"Robe me," said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Wormtail, sobbing and moaning, still cradling his mutilated arm, scrambled to pick up the black robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up and pulled them one-handed over his master's head. The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry…and Harry stared back into the face that he had seen in nightmares. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils…Lord Voldemort had risen again.

* * *

Katie didn't know what to do. One of her commanding officers had disappeared almost an hour ago from the middle of the maze and the other was currently on her knees in obvious pain. It was at times like this that she was thankful for all the training that she was put through to become a warrior mage. First order of business: secure superiors to a safe location. She knelt by Ginny's side and helped her to her feet muttering into her ear, "We have to get you to a safe location, Ma'am. We don't know if there will be another kidnapping attempt or not. We need to get you out of here." 

Ginny couldn't say anything back and followed her Lieutenant like a limp doll. Katie only caught a mumble, "…Harry?"

"Lieutenant Diggory is with the Commander, Ma'am. He will be fine." Katie prayed that this was true. Harry was one of the strongest mages and fighters she had ever seen but they could have been transported into any type of situation. What really worried her was the fact that neither of them had returned yet. They could have simply teleported back to the school the moment they got there if the situation was bad. Harry would reveal themselves to be mages if he had to, but only if he had too.

Katie led Ginny out of the crowds and down the stairwells of the Quidditch stands that lead to ground level. Several people gave them curious glances as they rushed their way down and a few Gryffindors even called out to them but Katie ignored them, intent on getting Ginny to a safer location. At the bottom of the steps, as they broke out onto the ground of the pitch itself, Ginny gave out another cry and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. "Captain? Captain?" Katie asked frantically.

"Uhhh…" Ginny moaned. "T-the bond…Phoenix…."

Katie couldn't understand what Ginny was talking about but figured it had something to do with her husband. She knew about the soul bond the two shared but hadn't realized that it had ran so deep as conveying pain and emotion between the two. Regardless though, they were still too exposed here and needed to get moving. She had just gotten Ginny to her feet again and moving when she saw the bright flash that indicated teleportation magic.

She looked to the disturbance and saw the Lord Phoenix holding onto the Triwizard Cup and onto…onto…_onto Cedric's dead body!_ Harry looked like he had seen better days, bleeding from several cuts along his body and dirt smudged all over his face. Ginny gave a small gasp and started to run over to her husband, frantic to reach him. Katie saw this and stopped her though. Harry had so far managed to prevent anyone from determining their secrets and he probably wouldn't want Ginny to reveal anything either.

Ginny struggled as much as she could against Katie's hold but couldn't break free. "It's alright, Ma'am," Katie whispered soothingly. "The Commander is fine, if a little banged up. We'll see him soon, after Pomfrey has fixed him up, so don't worry, we'll see him soon…" Her words seemed to penetrate Ginny's mind and the redhead began to calm down. A look of fire began to form in her eyes and Katie could understand what she was feeling. _Whoever hurt the Commander like this, _thought Katie, _is going to have a lot to answer for. And we aren't going to make it pleasant._

* * *

**Warden's Rants:**

**Websites: **I have finished posting my new website an I do hope that everybody will come take a look at it. It will be updated and maintained with more diligence and frequency than FFnet or the others. Plus I will post the other things that FFnet does not allow such as FAQs, Character lists, and the like. Drop me a line and tell me what you think. (www(dot)wardens-watch(dot)com)

Also the Yahoo Groups site is up. I have yet to make a forum or mailing list on my personal website but this should suffice for now. If you want to get in on the list come to: (groups.yahoo(dot)com/group/wardens-watch ).

**Outline: **Rejoice! For I have taken some time and written out a fully detailed outline from beginning to end for _The Bonded_. It should help me get the rest of the chapters out faster but we'll just have to see.

**Questions: **Oh, man did I get a lot of questions this time. I have tried to answer most of them in the story but I think that some of them should be considered in more detail. If you wish, visit the FAQ section in my website and I will explain just about any question to your hearts content.

* * *

** Tytianne's Rants**

**Hermione's Mystery Case**: Who else would be the one to start seeing the little oddities about our two War Mages?

Hmm…I don't have much to rant about this time other than real life. I think, however, that I'll spare you guys the idiotic details of that. Just know that I'm about to tell Real Life to take a hike for a day or two. REALLY looking forward to that. Hehehe.

* * *


	8. Chapter Eight

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Posted: December 10, 2004

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Eight

All things being equal, Harry would have much rather been spending his summer vacation in Tahiti on the beach with Ginny. Relaxing on the pristine sands with a good novel and a neon blue or green drink with a tiny umbrella in it. The waitress would bring Ginny and his dinner right out onto the beach and the married couple could eat as they watched the sun disappear beneath the crystal blue waves of the sea. Then maybe afterwards they would catch a cinema or simply rent a movie and snuggle up on the hotel bed.

As it was though, Harry was stuck once again at the Dursley's residence for some sadistic reason that was unknown to Harry. Dumbledore had refused to tell Harry exactly why the Dark Lord had attempted to kill him when he was but a year old and just as doggedly avoided explaining why Harry had to return to the Dursley's for the summer. He knew that it wasn't for lack of options. The Weasley's had written twice, asking if he would like to spend the summer with them and Hermione had also offered as well, so it most defiantly wasn't that.

No…it had something to do with the wards that surrounded this house. When Harry had first returned to Private Drive he had taken the time to classify and catalog all the protections that were placed along the house. At first he had been amazed at the amount of wards that he lived behind and the amount of power that was being produced by them. He searched for many hours before discovering that they were being powered by a small gem that was placed on the roof of the house. It was the main focal point of most of the anti-Apparation and Portkey wards, as well as the alarms and magic detectors.

By far though, the strongest of the wards tied into Harry and Petunia themselves. He didn't have a clue about how or why it was setup, or even what it was supposed to do but he did know that it was tied to him and his aunt and to a small extent, Dudley as well. Loathe as he was to admit that he was tied to his cousin in anyway, magical or not, Harry concluded that it had something to do with the shared blood between them as relatives.

_But now one more person has my blood…_ Harry thought as he lay in bed one night waiting for sleep to come. _Voldemort has my blood running through his veins. My mother's protection was useless at that graveyard…does this mean that this…this…this blood ward is useless as well? And if so, why did Dumbledore send me back into danger?_

It was a quandary. There were so many variables to think of, objects and actions to consider, that it would be amazing if anybody save Voldemort himself knew what was going to happen next. Fudge had made certain that the wizarding world would be even more unprepared for any sort of confrontation, even going so far as to give the aurors extra vacation time in an attempt to show that everything was fine in his fake, perfect, political world. His bumbling could prove fatal in the future. Even the mages were cautious after the loss of one of their own!

_Cedric…_ Harry had tried not to dwell on what had happened; he had tried to tell himself that Cedric was prepared for that risk, that he was ready to give his life up for his superior officer. He was a soldier doing his duty. It didn't make writing his letter of condolence any easier.

There had been no wife, no children to pass on Cedric's medals of bravery and valor. There had been no one to present the Phoenix Flag and feather to at the funeral. It had broken Harry's heart to see Cedric's parents crying for their son and not be able to tell them that Cedric was a brave and honorable man. How he wished that he could have told him that he died for noble causes and that his sacrifice could save many lives in the war to come. Indeed, if the prophecy was true, then Cedric had saved the entire world. Harry wished he could have revealed everything.

It was revealing things that truly had Harry worried now. With the way things stood in the wizarding world right now, Voldemort could easily crush any resistance and conquer the British Isle in a matter of days. The mages and possibly the sorcerers would need to step in and protect the wizards should anything go wrong but the wizards would have to step up as well. However, with Fudge in the way Harry would have little power in the way of persuasion to convince the wizarding world that Voldemort had indeed come back. Dumbledore's word carried a lot of weight but even that would not be enough this time. They needed someone with authority over Fudge and someone the people could see as a leader. They needed the Lord Phoenix.

Dazna was absolutely against the idea of Harry revealing his position as a mage and the Lord Phoenix, but Harry knew that he would win eventually. As Dazna continued to see the wizards were doing nothing his argument weakened, his points becoming less and less with each debate. He was, however, absolutely adamant about having the mage council's support before Harry revealed himself to the wizards. Harry could see the sense in it. It was much harder to argue with a man about position when he had nearly five hundred trained mages at his back.

Harry knew that the time had come for the mages to come out of their hiding and join the war that was surely brewing on time's horizon. It was time for him to take his place as the Lord Phoenix and protect the magical community as best he could. It had to be done and soon, preferably before Voldemort made his first move. It would not do to be caught flatfooted in this war.

Harry bolted upright in his bed. There was a person…no a few people that were magical out in the Dursley's front yard. They must have walked there because as far as Harry could tell…all the wards were still intact. He glanced at the small clock with the broken face that sat next to his lumpy bed on a makeshift light stand composed of a box and a few books. The Dursley's would never allow Harry to have anything that was actually comfortable or new. It would go against their very religion.

The clock numbers read nine fifty-five. Early enough in the night for some people to be out in the streets, but late enough to hide amongst the darkness if one was up to no good. Harry didn't know if the five people in the front yard were hostile but just the same, he did not know if they were friendly and that was far more important. He pulled the covers back and stepped into some jeans, foregoing a tee shirt in exchange for speed. At the last second he grabbed his wand and crept out the door. Magic was forbidden during the summer holidays but Harry wasn't going to let a stupid rule like that get in the way. Besides, it was for underage wizards, and he was a twenty-two year old adult mage.

His bare feet made no noise during the walk down the staircase and past the stairwell entrance into the main living room of the Dursley's private residence. Harry could feel the people walk up to his front door and he ducked behind one arm of the davenport, hoping that these late night visitors wouldn't end up waking the Dursleys. Harry almost reflexively felt for his sword and knives but they were still tucked away in the bottom of his trunk. It wasn't often that Harry went into battle unarmed and he wished he had the added comfort when he went up against whoever was standing at the front door.

The customary knock never came and Harry heard the lock click open from a whispered spell. He watched as the door slowly swung open and revealed two wizards with their wands at the ready. After a quick scan of the room, they separated and let the other wizards in from the outside before shutting the door and locking it once again.

There were five of them in all, the two in front had the slight, slender builds of females, the taller of the two seemed to be handling herself a bit clumsily and Harry was surprised she didn't make anymore noise. To the girls' left, stood a rather tall wizard, Harry estimated him to be about six feet two and with his hood down, Harry could easily see that the man was bald. On his opposite side, was a rather large man that stood in a hunched sort of way, he was staring at the ceiling as if looking for something and turning around slowly. As the man turned, Harry heard the sound of wood on wood and quickly glanced at the man's legs.

_It's Mad-Eye,_ Harry thought. Deciding to be a bit more daring, Harry carefully extended his aura to scan all of the dark robed wizards. It was a great surprise when all five of the wizards and witches whirled around and pointed their wands directly at the spot where Harry was hiding. _Oops…_ Harry knew that they had him now and any attempt at subversion or stealth would be unsuccessful.

"Who's there?" asked a slightly hoarse voice from the third and final male member. Harry's hopes leapt, that was Professor Lupin's voice. He knew that it was improbable for Deatheaters to polyjuice both Remus and Alastor, but he couldn't just take the chance. He quickly cast an obscuring spell on his body to block the magical eye that Moody, or the Deatheater impersonating him, was sure to have. Then he slowly began to magically construct a shield around his body while he searched his brains for options.

Sneaking around or using stealth were definitely out the window. Obscuring spell notwithstanding, Moody could still visually track Harry and now that the other wizards knew he was there they would be actively scanning for his magic. Subterfuge was also a no go. If these really were Deatheaters than no amount of coercing or storytelling would get him to safety. Even direct assault was not a viable option. If these were friends he did not want to harm them and there was still no blocking the three unforgivables should they turn out to be the enemy.

The only thing he could do was somehow prove beyond all possible doubt that these were friends or be forced to subdue or possibly kill them all. A sign and countersign was the best way but nobody had felt the need to warn him that wizards would be coming over to his house. The best he could come up with was having Lupin answer some type of question that only the true Remus would be able to answer.

However, with the escape of Wormtail in his third year of Hogwarts, much of the information that Lupin knew could be passed on to any of the Deatheaters via the sniveling rat. All information having to deal with his parents, the Marauders, or Sirius was out. As was most of the events during Harry's first three years at Hogwarts, the traitor had actually been present at those times. Unfortunately though, that was pretty much everything Harry could think of.

There was a loophole though; Remus was extremely intelligent and Harry doubted that there were very many Deatheaters that could match the werewolf in a contest of brains. Besides, the Deatheaters would be extremely impatient and would want to leave as soon as possible, making a better chance for them to make a mistake. Being careful to remain hidden, Harry shifted slightly to gain a better view of Remus' face. "How is the map to Hogwarts drawn?" he asked.

Remus looked confused for a moment but there was no irritation on his face. Harry was certain, Deatheaters or not, that the five people had figured out who he was by this point. They would have to be morons to have not and woe onto the Deatheaters if Crabbe and Goyle senior were among the five.

A sudden look of realization flashed across Remus' face and he gave a proud sort of smile and replied, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

That was good enough for Harry, and unless they were to kill him on the spot, he would most likely survive long enough to get to safety should he be making a mistake. He pocketed his wand in the waistband of his jeans and stood silently, flipping the light switch beside him as he did so. "It's good to see you again, Professor. Have you been well?"

"As well as could be expected, Harry." His former professor answered tiredly. "And please, it's Remus."

Harry nodded, "Very well than, Remus. Perhaps you could explain why you and four other extremely dangerous wizards were doing sneaking around in the Dursley's front lawn this late at night?"

"We're here to get you out, Boy," growled Mad-Eye. "With Voldemort on the loose we need to get you to a safer location, we're taking you to the Burrow."

Harry was surprised, both by their destination and Moody's use of Voldemort's name. "So you're my guard then," Harry said, he gestured to the others. "Who are they?"

"Well…" Lupin spoke up. "I'm sure you already know Alastor and I…" he continued on at Harry's nod. "And this is Nymphadora –"

"_Don't_ call me Nymphadora, Remus," interrupted the taller of the two witches. She had a pale, heart shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of pink. "It's Tonks."

"– Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin. He pointed to the bald wizard Harry had noted earlier. "This is Kingsly Shacklebolt and the pretty one on Tonks' right is Jennifer Dodge."

The said girl blushed lightly, "Remus, you flatterer."

Remus gave a boyish grin that seemed to fit naturally despite his prematurely aged face, "Not at all, Jennifer. I speak merely the truth." The woman giggled softly and blushed a little more. Flirting aside, the werewolf turned to Harry and his face took on a serious set. "It is a dangerous night for us to do this Harry but we have no other option. There is good reason to believe that Voldemort will be assaulting Privet Drive tonight. The five of us are going to get you out and then more will come for the Dursleys and prepare for any type of an attack."

Harry nodded, "How are we doing this then?"

This time, Mad-Eye spoke up, "We'll be taking a Portkey. It isn't authorized so if we get caught, things won't be pretty." The grizzled man let out a soft growl from his throat. "But still, better that then let Voldemort's spies onto what were doing here tonight. Besides, the Minister may be incompetent but even he wouldn't put the Boy-Who-Lived behind bars." As much as Harry hated to admit that he got special attention it was true. Fudge would be committing political suicide if he arrested Harry.

"Then I'll run up and pack my things," Harry commented. "How much time do we have?"

Mad-Eye glanced at a small, golden pocket watch that he pulled from the folds of his robes and said, "They will be ready for us in ten minutes, so we should leave in about eight minutes." Harry suppressed a smile at Moody's flash of paranoia but knew that it was the best tactic they had, just incase something was out of place. "You nip up to your room and pack your kit. Tonks will go with you."

"Right," Harry replied with a sharp nod. He looked at the bubbly, pink haired witch and motioned with a sweeping hand up the stairs. "After you," he said politely. The young witch smiled and took Harry's offer, walking up the steps slightly clumsily. She didn't make much noise though and for that Harry was immensely grateful. If the Dursleys were to wake and find five wizards in their house….Harry shuddered slightly. Once they reached the top of the stairs Tonks gave Harry a questioning look. "It's this one," Harry said pointing to the door on her right. She nodded and stepped into his room.

Harry was glad that he had cleaned that day and that his room was in good shape. While he didn't keep his living space as pristine as the rest of the household he did like his things to be organized. His desk had the Charms essay that he had been working on earlier that day and several of his schoolbooks were displayed neatly between two bookends in one of the corners. His trunk sat at the foot of his bed his clothes and extra school items already packed inside. There were a few pictures here and there and it was these that Harry started gathering first. Tonks asked what she could do to help and Harry indicated the books on his desk. "If you could gather those up we'll be done in a few minutes."

A few words were exchanged between the two as they packed up quickly. Harry found out that his guard was composed of Aurors with the sole exception of Remus. Mad-Eye had been brought back to service after the incident last year and Tonks jokingly added that he was trying to regain some pride after being captured by Crouch Junior. Tonks herself had graduated Auror academy two years before and Jennifer a year after her. Harry was surprised to find that they were the only graduates in the last three years.

"Being an Auror is a demanding job, Harry," Tonks was telling him as they carefully carried his trunk down the stairs. "After Hogwarts, it's another two years of intensive training and class work followed by a year apprenticeship with active duty. Not very many people are up to the challenge and most drop in the first two months." Harry nodded as he listened to Tonks talk. He hadn't known that Aurors were so few in number and began to wonder if Wizards even had a protection system at all.

Moody looked at his stopwatch again and glanced around. "Alright," he said gruffly. "Gather 'round and grab onto the Portkey." It was a small book that seemed to be a cheap romance novel from where Harry stood. "Everyone have a hold?" Mad-Eye asked. "Yes? Alright then, here we go." Moody tapped the book once with his wand and Harry felt the hook behind his navel before speeding of to the Burrow and his wife once more.

* * *

When Harry hit the ground lightly after the Portkey came to a stop, his body seemed to be reacting on autopilot, ducking and curling up into a forward roll and popping back up in a defensive stance. Belatedly, Harry wondered why his body had acted so automatically and turned to see what was behind him. His training was all that saved him from being hit with a bright red, angry looking spell. He dropped to the ground once again and rolled to his stomach, taking in the scene around him.

The Portkey had dropped them off in the middle of a war zone. Everywhere Harry looked there were small battles being waged and curses of every kind being shot to and fro. The Aurors that had came with Harry quickly adjusted to the situation, Tonks and Jennifer coming over and protected Harry while Kingsly, Mad-Eye, and Remus all joined the battles taking place. A quick count and a scan of his surroundings gave Harry all the information he needed.

There were twenty-four attacking wizards with various levels of skill, both muggle and magical. Each one was dressed in black robes and had pure white, skull like masks adorning their visage. Judging by the amount of dark magic they were throwing out and their masks, Harry felt pretty confident in being able to label them as Death Eaters. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters had the upper hand at the moment. There had been about seven defenders originally but two were incapacitated and a third fighting only at half his ability. The addition of Harry's guard brought the number of capable defenders up to ten leaving them still outnumbered by more than two to one.

The Burrow loomed in the background and Harry could plainly see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley defending their front doorstep with the rage of lions. Looking at the windows he could see the scared and anxious faces of the Weasley children watching the battle. Among them, he spotted his wife's face looking straight at him a concerned look on her face. He gave her a smile of reassurance and a small nod before getting to his feet and brushing off.

"Harry! Stay down!" shouted Tonks as she shoot an unknown spell towards one of the Deatheaters. "We can't have you getting hurt."

Harry simply ignored her and looked around the battle field once again. Rules be damned, Harry was not going to let this go on any longer, Dazna would just simply have to accept it. Of course, this would mean moving their time schedule up but this might actually be turned to their advantage. Carefully, Harry slid his wand back into his sleeves and slipped into a combat stance.

"Damn it, Harry!" Tonks yelled again. "Get do–" Tonks cut off as she watched Harry's clothes change with a snap of his fingers. Garbed in his fighting outfit, Harry snapped his fingers once again and his sword appeared in his hands. With speed and skill of long practice Harry quickly tied it to his back before turning and facing Tonks.

"You won't need to worry about me," he said politely to the now gaping Tonks and Jennifer. "I'll be able to handle myself. You two make sure you don't get killed, okay?" Jennifer and Tonks swore rather colorfully when their charge blurred into action and headed straight for the closest Death Eater. They didn't know what the fool boy was thinking, how he had changed his clothes, or where he got that sword from but they did know that he wouldn't be able to take on all those Deatheaters, Boy-Who-Lived or not.

When they turned back to chase after him, to their shock they found that Harry wasn't in need of any help. He had approached the first Death Eater from his blindside and a quick one-two combo was enough to drop him like a stone. The next was taken down by a quick low sweep and a stunning spell at point blank range. Remus, who had been fighting off the two Harry had just downed, looked up from his duel with another to see who his helper was. Harry smiled and gave him a wave before moving into action once more, chuckling at the look on his ex-professor's face.

The third Death Eater seemed to be more competent than his first two opponents, probably still a new recruit but a more experienced one. He dodged Harry's first two spells but was unable to counter the third and fell to the ground in a stupor, knocking the back of his head against a rock on the way down. He had, regrettably, enough time to get out a small cry of warning to his companions though and several more of the black robed wizards turned towards Harry, wands at the ready.

Harry sported a feral grin and got ready to play some more. After all, he may have _looked_ like a fourteen year old but sometimes looks can be deceiving, especially when dealing with a fully trained War Mage.

* * *

Ginny watched calmly from the window as she watched Harry, her husband, tear through Voldemort's troops with ease. At first, she had been frightened when he and the rest of the party Portkeyed in right in front of a curse. She let out a sigh of relief when Harry darted and rolled forward responding to the threat even though he was unaware of it. It didn't seem to take Harry very long to identify the situation and react accordingly. Ginny sighed as she watched Harry fighting as a mage; they could hide the truth no longer.

She stepped back behind her brothers as they continued to stare out the window, Bill and Charlie tossing a hex of their own every now and then, and whispered a sleeping spell and promptly cast it on her brothers. She didn't like attacking her brothers from the back like that but it was the safest way for them to stay alive. She didn't want any of them following her out on to the battlefield or overreacting to what she was about to do.

Like Harry, a quick snap of the fingers had her garbed in appropriate attire and another snap had her twin daggers in hand. Harry had shown her how to summon her daggers to her in case a situation like this ever arose. She spun the daggers around in her hands a couple times, getting used to their feel once again. She had by no means slacked of in her training but finding time at the Burrow to do so alone was nigh impossible so practice was scarce. She sheathed her daggers and calmly walked over to the front door where her parents stood, fighting with fierce abandon.

"Excuse me, Mom, Dad…but I really should be helping Harry take care of those Death Eaters right now," Ginny spoke softly but there was a hint of steel in her voice.

Arthur and Molly shared a worried look. They had noticed Harry's arrival and subsequent fighting against Voldemort's shocked troops. Already he had taken down six of the Death Eaters and showed no signs of stopping. The efficiency that he stopped the Death Eaters with and the immense degree of skill, both martial and magic, in which he moved gave the Weasley parents absolutely no doubts about the power of the mages. Logically, they could see and understand the need for Harry to have combat support especially from someone who knew his abilities and limitations. But even though they had the knowledge that Ginny was an adult mage, it was hard to give up on the image of the young girl that they had seen and interacted with all her life.

Ginny could see the hesitation in her parents eyes and spoke, "Harry will be able to handle himself. I doubt that even without your help that the Death Eaters could overcome him. But they're wizards, _you're_ wizards" Ginny emphasized hoping to remind her parents of exactly who she was. "He needs a mage for back up and cover fire and I'm the only one here that can do that. Please, let me get out there." Ginny inwardly cheered when she saw her parents sigh and step away from the door, leaving space between them for her to get outside.

Molly gave a sniffle, "Oh Ginny dear, please, be _careful._"

"Don't worry, Mum," Ginny gave a cheeky grin. "You should probably start dinner, it won't take Harry and I long to weed the front garden." Ginny waved her hand at her parents and cast an invisibility charm on herself. It wouldn't hold when she started attacking but it would be good for getting in position. Sneaking up behind a small group of the wizards battling against Mad-Eye and a tall, bald wizard she had never met before, she dropped the invisibility and using her dagger as a focus, hit the Deatheaters with powerful stunning spells.

Mad-Eye focused his good eye on her and she saw it widen slightly with surprise before he moved on and helped Remus get out of a nasty situation. Veterans were almost never surprised and if they were, it sure didn't last long. Turning her attention back to the battle as well she saw that between Harry, herself, and the Aurors, there were only seven Death Eaters left now as Mad-Eye and Remus took down two more. Across from her, she saw Harry stalking the remaining enemies like a lurking tiger. She grinned and fell into that predatory gait that Dazna had taught her as well; oft times intimidation could win half the battle.

* * *

_It's an odd thing…_Arthur thought to himself as he watched Harry and Ginny circling the remaining Deatheaters like stalking cats. _How much my perception colors things. _Arthur knew Harry better than most of the wizarding world. His youngest son had once asked if a friend from school could come over and Arthur had been shocked to know that the friend was Harry Potter. Then, when that messy-haired child had arrived on their doorstep one summer morning, watching all the hustle and bustle of the Burrow with wide-eyes, Arthur took it upon himself to get to know the boy better.

It had shocked him to learn that both Harry and his only daughter were married and mages as well. He had also felt a surge of disappointment when he realized he had missed out on so much of her life. He never got to walk her down the aisle, or torture her first boyfriend when he picked her up for a date…oh how he had planned for that day. He would be sitting on the couch with his wand in clear view, maybe magic up one of those muggle contraptions that the fathers usually used….what were they…shockums? No…a shotgun, that's what Harry had told him.

Yes, he and Harry had spent countless summer nights, staying up around the dieing fire and talking about various topics, mostly muggle contraptions. Harry was one of the few people that would simply sit and patiently explain whatever Arthur wanted to understand without getting frustrated with his overeager attitude. He had learned a lot about Harry during those times, even about some of his time on Phoenix Isle.

Still, for all their conversations and all their understanding, Arthur still viewed Harry as the savior of the wizarding world, the Boy-Who-Lived. He had always thought that Harry would be some type of shining beacon for the wizards of the light and defeat evil as if it were a piece of tissue paper in the wind. Watching Harry now, it was easy to for him to slip back into that propaganda and sensation that was Harry Potter; to simply ignore that this was the child that he had spent those late nights with.

Oddly enough, as easy it was for him to accept and relax when Harry was in immanent danger, he could not do so with Ginny, and from the grip his wife had on his arm, she could not either. Every time a spell or hex was shot in Ginny's direction, he could feel Molly's grip tighten and her breath hitch, he shared the same apprehension and fear, then the stark relief when his daughter easily dodged or deflected the curse. It was nerve wracking and he almost wished that he could just barge out there and pull her from harm's way but stopped himself each time from acting. He could only muck the situation up even further by doing that. For now, all he could do was watch and take pride in the skills of his daughter.

The Death Eaters were down to three now. Harry and Ginny continued to circle their pray. The Death Eaters, deciding that their fear of whatever Harry and Ginny had in store for them outweighed their fear of reporting a failure to Voldemort, quickly apparated away. Harry and Ginny both straightened up and looked at the spot where the cowards had fled from. Arthur saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to his left. His brow furrowed as he saw a rat scurrying around. _That looks an awful lot like Scabbers,_ he thought silently. _But I thought Ron said he died two years ago…_

He didn't have long to question though as the rat mutated into a short, rotund man right before his eyes. As he watched, the man pointed his silver hand at Ginny's unprotected back and muttered a spell of some kind. A bright neon blue light shot out of the tip of his pointed finger and ate up the distance between him and Ginny at an astonishing pace. Horrified, Arthur tried to get out a warning, "_Ginny!_"

* * *

Harry relaxed as the last of the 'prey' vanished, apparating to an unknown destination. Looking about him, he saw Mad-Eye and the rest binding the unconscious Death Eaters, snapping their wand, and occasionally binding wounds received so as to make sure the prisoners would remain questionable. His gaze was pulled away from Remus conjuring ropes around a small group by Arthur's panicked scream.

"_Ginny!_"

Harry whirled around just in time to see a bright neon blue ball of light slam into the small of Ginny's back. He watched as his wife's eyes went wide with shock before fluttering closed and her body going limp. Harry was by her side and holding her in his arms before she even began to fall. Quickly erecting a powerful shield over the two of them on case her attacker tried something else, he laid her light body on the ground and checked her over, letting the Aurors handle whoever it was.

An immense sigh of relief crashed through him when he saw that Ginny was still breathing and there was no outward physical injuries nor could he feel any pain through the bond. It appeared as if she was merely sleeping and nothing else. Still, Harry refrained from trying to waken her; the color of the spell was unlike any he had ever seen before. Sure there were a few spells that gave off a blue light but it was always of a darker variety, not the neon blue that hit Ginny.

Dispersing the shield Harry stood up and looked at an anxious Arthur and Molly. "She's fine," he said noticing the instant look of relief that washed over both their faces. "But I want someone to take a closer look at her just to be certain. I've never seen a spell like that before and I want a professional to give their diagnosis." Harry looked behind the worried couple and saw Remus and the rest standing there, looking worried and confused.

Molly spoke up, "I'll floo Madame Pomfrey immediately, she'll be able to help." She turned to go inside but Harry stopped her.

"Don't bother Mrs. Weasley," he said. "I've got better resources." He pulled a small phone out of his pocket and thanked the genius that decided to issue them to all the mages on Phoenix Isle. He dialed a quick number that was far longer than most. A second later a pleasant female voice came on the line. Quickly, he rattled off some orders, "This Captain Harry Potter, Id: Alpha-six-Charlie-Bravo. I am located at Captain Ginny Potter's current place of residence and am in need of an immediate strike team and medic crew. She is in need of medical assistance. Repeat. I am at the Burrow and need backup and a doc."

"Roger that, Captain Potter. Strike team and Medics should be arriving momentarily. General Sylvan has been alerted to your situation and is on route," The dispatch hesitated here for a second and continued. "I pray that your wife is fine Commander…out."

Harry closed the connection and pocketed the phone once more. Drawing in a deep breath, he held it for a second and closed his eyes. Letting it out he, opened his eyes and turned towards Arthur. "Who was it?" he asked in a tone as cold as death.

Arthur's face became almost as hard as Harry's. "We don't know, he got away," he growled. "I saw the man myself, he was a rat animagus but he looked a lot like Scabbers."

"Pettigrew…" Harry ground out.

"You know who it was?" Arthur asked, surprised.

Harry nodded, "His name is Peter Pettigrew –"

"The man murdered by Sirius Black?"

"The same though the roles were actually reversed. Peter was the one who betrayed my parents and killed those muggles, framing Sirius and, I am sorry to tell you this, hiding out with your family as Scabbers for twelve years." Harry's fists clinched and his voice dropped dangerously low. "But I can assure you…the next time I see him he will not live out the day."

Arthur stepped back, whether from the realization that he had been housing a mass murder or from the tone in which Harry spoke those words, Harry didn't know. Whatever the reason, Arthur's reaction served to jolt Harry out of it just as he felt the squads of mages teleporting in. The wizard Aurors gave up a startled cry and raised their wands in defiance but the mage strike team quickly and efficiently disarmed them, ready to deal some damage to the ones they thought responsible. Harry's voice stopped them cold.

"Stand down!" Harry roared.

"But Sir!" one of the lieutenants protested.

"I said stand down!" Harry continued to yell, overriding his subordinate's objection. "These wizards are friends!" He glared at the soldier making sure his order was followed. The mage seemed to deflate and lowered his hand from Moody's face. Harry gave a small nod, "Who's your leader, soldier?"

"Lieutenant Commander Stephens, Sir."

Harry nodded in approval; Jill had helped Dazna out when training Harry on many occasions. "Lieutenant Stephens," he called out. One of the mages that had surrounded Moody looked up and made her way towards Harry. Jill was a tall woman, with long legs making up most of her height which was an impressive five ten. As always, her honey colored hair was tied back that touched her lower back. She wore the standard mage uniform, loose black silk pants tied off at the ankles and a tight fit black turtle neck that had the single silver bar that designated her rank attached at her neck. A phoenix holding its wings protectively around a tower was the insignia for the mage army and it was embroidered on her left shoulder. Underneath it was her name written in silver.

"Sir?" Jill asked, sheathing her sword as she did so.

"Lieutenant, I want you to send three men to secure the area, one mile radius. Have the medics start working on Ginny immediately and patching up any who need it. Have the rest of your men guard the prisoners and take up defense locations in the immediate vicinity. You're on me." Harry's orders were followed quickly and precisely, three men jogged off towards the forest to check the perimeter and the rest did their jobs well. Satisfied that everything was followed through, Harry turned and walked over to where the Aurors and Weasley parents stood. All the boys were still sleeping thanks to Ginny's spell.

As Harry approached, it was Tonks that asked the first question. "What's going on Harry? Who are these people? Why did you run off and where did you learn to fight like that? Can you really do advanced wandless magic? Is –?" She was rambling and Harry could see in the others' eyes that they wanted answers to these questions too.

Harry held up a hand to stop Tonks' babbling, "I know that you have questions and that stuff may seem a bit strange to you but I'm going to ask that you wait for a little bit while I finish up things here. Dumbledore and Fudge will be arriving soon and I need to set a few things straight with them." The group looked about to protest but Harry stopped them, "I promise I will tell you everything you need to know but later."

Jill tapped his shoulder and Harry spared her a glance. She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Sir, perimeter had been secured and General Sylvan is here."

"Good, tell your men to continue a roaming patrol out there and escort Dazna up here. I want to talk to him before Dumbledore or Fud–" A cry of outrage rang out through the night and Harry and Jill whirled around to see what was going on, Jill stepping a bit closer to Harry to better protect him. The sight that met their eyes was almost comic.

"I am the Minister of Magic and I demand that you release me at once!" Fudge was being held back by one of his mages and the two Auror bodyguards that came with him were on the ground being held at sword point. Fudge was struggling for all he was worth and his face was a bright red from his yelling. "I'll have you in Azkaban for this, mark my words!"

Harry hid a small smile at the situation and walked forward to 'greet' the Minister. "Why Minister Fudge!" Harry called out jovially. "How good of you to join us. We had been expecting you but I honestly did not think that you would be arriving so soon."

Fudge gaped as Harry greeted him as if he was here for nothing more than tea. Shock only lasted for a moment before giving way to anger. "Is this your doing Potter?" he asked. "Your wand will be snapped for this alone, just you wait. I order you to call of these goons this instant. Let me go!"

"Now, now, Minister, let's not be too hasty. Also, I would ask that you refrain from calling my Lieutenants…'goons.' It's not very polite." Harry had a small smile on his face and spoke calmly and lightly, knowing that it would infuriate the minister even more.

"Lieutenants?" Fudge asked in a shocked voice.

Harry let the smile slip off his face and heaved a large sigh. The Minister had been a good man when he was voted into office. The people of the wizarding community had made a good choice when voting him into office. It was his plans and ideas that got the wizarding world back on its feet and thriving so soon after the Dark War. He was very good at politics and knew how to play the game.

Eventually though, he had become too entrenched in the power of his office, swayed by the power of Lucius' gold. He had forgotten somewhere along the line that he was there to serve the people…not rule them. Harry still had hopes for the man though, the people followed him once and with luck, they would do so again. However, before that could happen things would have to change and one was the man's attitude. "Yes Cornelius, my Lieutenants."

Fudge sputtered in outrage, "You will address me as Minister, young man!"

Harry shook his head, "No Cornelius, I do not fall under your province of government. I can address you in anyway I see fit."

"What do you –" Then Fudge saw the Aurors standing by Ginny and the doctor, watching the exchange between Harry and the minister closely. "You Aurors, I command you to arrest Harry Pott –"

"Cornelius Fudge!" Harry roared allowing his power to envelop him and flow about him. The very air around Harry began to crackle and pop with suppressed energy. "Do not assume that your word is law. You do not have authority over me!" The ground around him began to shake and depressions were beginning to form all around him from the force of his energy. "If you force this issue, it will be your last mistake in the capacity of Minister of Magic. Do not clutch so tightly to your office that it slips through your fingers like grains of sand!"

Fudge let out a soft whimper as he looked upon the power that was Harry's to control. Even the aurors seemed to only be able to gape at the display. Many had seen powerful wizards before during their tenure as aurors, but the amount of energy Harry was putting off right now was beyond any wizard that they had ever seen save _perhaps_ Dumbledore or Voldemort. Minister Fudge may have been their boss but even if Harry's strike team not been there, they would have had plenty of doubts at being able to arrest the young man that stood before them.

Harry relaxed and let his magic flow back into him. "You were a good man once," he spoke softly to Cornelius. "Show me…show the world that the man you used to be still exists. Don't let yourself be controlled by your feelings of self-importance." The Minister looked at Harry with fear and respect in his eyes, still struck speechless by the threat Harry had given. Harry sighed to himself, it would have to do…for now.

Harry turned away from the minister and began to walk back towards Ginny when he heard an amused voice coming from his left. "Quite the show you put on there, Lad. I'm surprised the Minister didn't wet himself," the figure chuckled lightly.

Harry laughed along, "Sure looked like he was thinking about it though." He turned and looked at the man full on. "You got here quicker than I thought you would Dazna."

Dazna's eyes turned cold and his face hardened. "They attacked you and Ginny, Harry. Attacking my family is not something that I will tolerate." Dazna seemed to shake out of it and a smile made its way onto his face once more. "I see that you two managed to handle everything else just fine though. How is Ginny doing?"

Harry let out a long sigh and his shoulders drooped a bit. "Pettigrew hit her with some kind of spell that I've never seen before. She has no outward signs of injury but I'm still worried."

Dazna patted Harry on the back, "Of course you are, Lad. Come on…" he gestured towards the medic. "Let's go see what we can find out."

The pair walked over to the Medic. The man wasn't tall but still stood over Harry by a few inches. "Oh good, General, Captain. I was just about to look for you."

"How is she?" Harry asked quickly.

"From what I've seen so far," the medic said. "She appears to be fine. Do you know what spell hit her?"

Harry shook his head. "All that I saw was that it was bright blue in color."

"Bright blue, hmmm…" The medic drew his fingers across the side of his chin several times, lost in thought. "I haven't heard of such a spell before. I'd like to take Captain Potter to the Isle where we can get some specialists checking her over. We have better equipment there as well."

Harry nodded, "Very well. Prep her for transport and leave as soon as you can."

"Yes, Sir." The medic snapped to a salute before turning and appropriating three mages to help him leave.

Harry rubbed his fingers over his temples slightly, "Dazna, could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, Lad." Dazna replied immediately. "What do you need?"

Harry gave his adopted father a small smile, "Go with them and watch over Ginny for me. I would go myself but I still need to talk to Dumbledore when the old coot arrives."

Dazna nodded, "It would be my pleasure." The mage turned and started walking over to Ginny. "Take care of yourself Lad, and don't worry, she'll be alright."

Harry watched the medic and mages get ready to leave before continuing on towards the Burrow, he needed to be ready for when Dumbledore arrived. He was about to ask Jill to fetch some more guards when he was interrupted.

"Sir!" Jill spoke pointing behind him. Harry sighed and turned around.

* * *

Dumbledore sighed. Or he would have had his molecules not been traveling at the speed of light towards The Burrow. Apparating was a difficult task for many witches and wizards. Breaking down one's molecular structure into a stream of electrons, and then forcing them to travel to a new destination and reconstruct took a goodly amount of power. Not so much that it exhausted or tired them out…just enough to make four or five consecutive jumps in a row an impossible task for most people.

With a small pop, Dumbledore appeared in the front yard of the Weasley house, wincing ever so slightly. Consciousness and thought, lacking physical substance, stayed aware during the apparating process. It seemed that it took him longer and longer to reconstruct his body as he got older. He supposed that it was inevitable. Everybody got older and at some point, death was waiting. He feared not for his passing though. He had led an eventful and productive life.

When he had first turned eleven in a small village near the coast in northern Scotland, he had received his Hogwarts letter. It was amazing that after so much time had passed he still remembered that day so clearly. There had been astonishing news that day. The Americans had engaged in civil war. Scant fifty years after they had ended hostilities with Britain, they were fighting amongst themselves. The owl that had delivered his letter had been a beautiful brown barn owl and he could clearly see the Hogwarts crest sealing the envelope in his minds eye.

The letter had been a surprise to him but not his family. Albus had been away under an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith when his elder brother, Aberforth was admitted into Hogwarts. The magic in his family had seemingly skipped over two generations on his father's side. His father, having been a squib, was as unaware of the wizarding world as his muggle mother. His great-grandmother had come by the next day and explained to him many things about the magic world, both good and bad. In the end though Albus had gone and studied at Hogwarts with his grandmother parting some advice to him that he had never forgotten.

_"Never trust your eyes and beliefs around witches and wizards, Albus,"_ she had told them in a voice wearied with years of use_. "When magic is involved, anything is possible."_

It had been in his sixth year that Albus' life found solid direction. The entire school was abuzz with the news of a guest speaker coming to Hogwarts. While this was not an extraordinary occasion in of itself the speaker himself was. _Nicolas Flamel._ The renowned alchemist and only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone. Dumbledore had been anticipating the day with everybody else and when it finally came he sat as close to the front of the great hall as he could manage.

The man that came out on the stage, the man with the hazel eyes, had not been what Albus had been expecting. He had expected some grizzled, gruff man, who despite his brusque attitude would be extremely knowledgeable, if hard to get along with. No…this man was young – scarcely a few years older than himself. Lean and sinewy, he wore very elegant looking tunic and breeches and a smile that seemed to make you like him. Albus had not been thinking of a man that was currently somewhere around five hundred and twenty years of age to look like this.

The man's face was pleasing enough to look upon, gentle in appearance, with his wavy brown hair falling to his shoulders. It was the eyes however that seemed to draw you in. Eyes that held so much knowledge and experience, eyes that seemed to look right through into your very soul. They swept the room of crowded students and locked on Albus. For that moment, Albus thought that his entire existence was being weighed and measured. It was but a moment later that the man spoke, his voice calm and placid, "Do you know what the true purpose of Alchemy is, child?"

Albus felt the indignation well up at being called a child but forced it down. Compared to Nicolas, he was but a child. "No sir, I can't say that I do." A brief frown flickered across Nicolas' face and Albus couldn't help but feel that he had disappointed the man. He spoke up once more, "But I would be most eager to learn, sir."

The smile on Nicolas' face grew and he gave a hearty laugh. "I bet you would child, I bet you would."

It wasn't long after that, when Albus graduated and soon was an apprentice of the great alchemist. They were some of the greatest times he ever had, studying with Nicolas and unlocking the secrets of the universe. Many of his most important discoveries had come about during that time. But nothing had been more important than Erin.

It had been love at first sight for the wizard. Erin's violet eyes had captured him in their beauty and her long, dark hair entranced him. It had not taken long for him to get married to the wonderful woman and a year later they had a new addition to the family. With his wife and daughter by his side, Albus knew that he was content and happy in life.

But in the late eighteen eighties, disaster struck. Albus had already made quite a name for himself and a young dark magic user had seen him as a threat. A group of assassins had been sent to his house while Albus was away. They brutally tortured his wife, making his daughter watch. Rape was but one of the atrocities that had happened that night and when the men had had their fill…they left her, broken and bleeding to die, taking his daughter as hostage.

When Albus had found out what had happened, a rage such as he had never felt before filled him. He could not clearly remember what happened the next few months but he did remember the screams of the assassins and the pain in his daughter's eyes as the fledgling dark wizard killed her in front of her father. If it hadn't been for his friendship with Nicolas, Albus doubted that he would have ever been able to move on after that. The pain of their absence had never left him but he found that teaching children had helped dull the loss of his daughter.

_And now look at me, _Albus thought to himself. _Headmaster of Hogwarts. Erin would be proud…_ Lost in his thoughts, Albus had missed the fact that the few Aurors that had come with him had been stunned and bound and that his own wand was no longer in his hand but the hand of a twenty something year old man in front of him.

Dumbledore blinked. Once…then twice. He looked around him and saw the Burrow in the background, scorch marks from various spells marring its surface. To his right, the guard he had sent to pick up Harry was watching over a large group of unconscious Death Eaters. Including the one currently holding his wand, there was a group of people he didn't recognize, clearly standing guard and protecting…Albus looked around some more…Harry?

His young student was currently yelling at Cornelius with fierce abandon. So shocked by the display of power around the young boy, Dumbledore did not notice the minutes pass until the Boy-Who-Lived was coming over and standing in front of him. It wasn't until he heard his name called that he came around. "Huh…what…?" his befuddled mind was incapable of processing what was going on.

Harry looked at him with his eyes that reminded him of Nicolas once again in how he seemed to look through your very soul. Only a moment had passed but it seemed like an eternity before the youth nodded and turned to the pretty blonde girl on his left.

"Memory wipe everybody but Dumbledore, Cornelius, Molly and Arthur. The medics are taking Ginny back to Phoenix Isle, alert me the moment something changes." Harry ordered.

Alarmed, Dumbledore looked around and saw the familiar red-headed girl, unconscious on the ground, a small group of people huddled around her. He turned back towards Harry, "Harr– "

Harry raised a hand, "Not now," turning back towards the girl he continued. "Have a team sent out here to fix and strengthen the wards, and alert Dazna that there's been a change of plans and I've gone back to Phoenix Isle with Professor Dumbledore here." The youth paused and seemed to think of something. "Remus mentioned that there might be an attack at the Dursley's, send a squad over there for the night and have them help the Dursley's move in the morning."

"If they refuse, Sir?" the girl asked.

"Then convince them," Harry stressed. "If necessary remove them by force but they are to have left the premises by 1300 hours. I want the squad to remove any trace that either I or the Dursley's ever lived at number four and securely ward the new house. Memory wipe all the neighbors and Vernon's coworkers…I want it to look like we never even existed. As much as I dislike my relatives I won't have them getting killed because of me."

The blonde girl snapped to a salute, "Yes, Sir!" She faltered for a second, "Umm…what about the Minister, Sir?"

"I'll be taking him with me as well, send one of your men back with him and take him to the council hall."

The girl nodded and left, allowing Harry to turn his full attention over to Dumbledore. The aged wizard tried once again to talk to Harry, "What is going on, Harry?"

The young man gave him a look and said, "I'll explain it to you later, for now…we need to leave." Dumbledore frowned as the young man took his arm and the familiar feeling of apparating washed over him.

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**Warden's Rants:**

**New Characters:** Yes, some of the characters I have used in this chapter and may use in subsequent chapters are in the fifth book of Harry Potter. Though I will not follow fifth book cannon, as evidence by the chapter above, I do like a few of the characters and I decided to use them. Most of the other items from the book, I will not be using however. If you don't like it…deal.

**Dumbledore: **I just wanted to make a note and ask you what you though about my slight character development around Dumbledore. Did you like it, hate it? Tell me.

**Cat:** My girlfriend Cat is also a writer and she has decided to try her hand at a few stories. We work well together as a team and she often proof reads my stuff and I proof read hers. So she will have her own little rant section at the end of my stories and her stories might be making their way onto my sites as well. She had a FFnet profile but I don't know if she had any stories yet.

**Website: ** I have finally gotten enough space and bandwidth to finalize the for of the website. Rants by me, Cat, and possibly Tytianne will be posted up there. Also does anyone have a particular scene they want drawn out? I'll have some time over Christmas break to make a few drawings to post.

**Questions: **All questions are being answered in my FAQ section on my website. Check my author's profile to get there.

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**Cat's Rants:**

**Hello: **This really doesn't have anything to do with the story. But I'll get to do plenty of that later on. I do have a FFnet profile, 'Warden's Cat' if anyone is interested (don't laugh, I think its cute!). Hopefully you'll be hearing much more of me as time goes by. See ya!

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**Tytianne's Rant: **Mwahahaha! Yet another chapter written, typed, checked, tweaked, and posted. Hope you guys have as much fun reading this as I did.

**Flaming Reviews:** Okay, now I know that Warden should be the one to deal with these but as his beta reader I feel the need to at least say SOMETHING! There were a couple people who reviewed after the last post that had some issues with this fic. DEAL WITH IT PEOPLE! Like I've said before, this is a FAN fiction. That means the author can do what they want with it. Also, these characters are NOT perfect by any stretch of the imagination. That is human nature. One review said something about teleporting out of the situation in the prev. chapter. The two mages didn't do that because it would have blown their cover and after that Harry was trying to get around Cedric's death. I would like to say something to anyone who has written a Flame review for this fic, or plans to at any rate. Read a little closer people and you won't have a reason to Flame because there're clues and answers to your "problems" all over the place. It's part of my job to ensure that those clues and such are there. So get OVER it!

Whew. I feel better. See you next chapter and remember to watch Warden's website for updates and stuff. You might even find a few blurbs from me there. Who knows?

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	9. Chapter Nine

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Posted: Not Yet

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Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter and am not using this story for financial gain.

**The Bonded**

Chapter Nine

Fudge paced around his room nervously. It had become an annoying habit of his ever since he had arrived here…wherever _here_ was. He wished that he knew what was going on. Out of all things that irked Cornelius the most, not being in control of a situation was one of the top. Not being in control meant not having enough information and not having enough information meant lots and lots of surprises. Cornelius absolutely detested surprises.

But that Potter boy had done it again and given him more surprises than he knew what to do with. Once he had heard about the attack on the Burrow, Fudge immediately grabbed an escort and traveled to the Weasley's home. He wanted to asses the situation himself and check on the Aurors that Dumbledore had secreted away to move the Boy-Who-Lived from his house in Surrey. Fudge was not a simpleton; he knew that many of his Aurors 'worked' for Dumbledore as well as himself. They were subtle and cautious but not cautious enough. Dumbledore may be a strong and powerful leader of the people but he was no politician skilled in deceit and lies. But Fudge thrived on politics and it would be a cold day in hell before Dumbledore would usurp any of _his_ people without him knowing about it. Dumbledore's plans and actions were rarely at odds with that of the ministry so Fudge let them be. Taking no unnecessary action and leaving the Headmaster of Hogwarts to his own devices.

Arriving at the Burrow had definitely been a shock. The land was scorched with craters gouged out all around them. Hanging in the sky for all to see was the feared symbol that he had seen too much of during the Dark War. Looking around some more he had just gotten a good look at several incapacitated Deatheaters being guarded by his Aurors before two people managed to get the drop on him and his escort.

Fudge shook his head in disgust. His escort was dropped to the ground in a matter of seconds and Cornelius himself was restrained by the pair without a spell being fired. It had been over before he even had time to blink. When the young Harry had came over, Fudge had been livid and made it known. But the display of power that Potter had shown quickly snapped his mouth shut and had him thinking serious thoughts about his own mortality.

But now, after the fact, Cornelius pondered about the Boy-Who-Lived. He had been afraid of the boy's popularity before. Fearing that the young man might try to put him out of office but Fudge had been secure with the knowledge that Harry lacked the power and the knowledge to pull anything like that. After watching that impressive display and how the young man ordered his 'lieutenants' around like a seasoned commander Fudge wasn't so certain anymore. Clearly Harry had the ability to oust the Minister yet he hadn't. Why?

Perhaps, he s0till had some use. He had been extremely popular in his earlier days as Minister and held a great amount of sway and power in the international community. But lately he had been lacking in both. Perhaps, if he tried to hearken back to his earlier days Potter would not dispose of him. Perhaps….

A knock on the door drew him away from his pacing and he turned to see one of the cooks bringing in his dinner. It was a full spread that he would be lucky to eat even as the Minister but he quickly allowed a mask of disgust to wash over his face. "This meal is unsatisfactory," he sneered to cook. "I demand that you speak to Mister Potter and bring him to me so I may discuss the poor arrangements around here. Such dingy quarters and skimpy meals are ill befitting one of my station."

The cook didn't' say anything but nodded and bowed out of the room. Fudge made certain that the man was gone before letting his face resume its normal expression. Perhaps this time, Potter would actually come. Cornelius had many questions and the only one with the answers was Harry.

* * *

Jill watched in satisfaction as the last of the Weasley sons had their memories altered to fit the new story. All traces of the captains fighting against the deatheaters had been erased from their memory. Everyone, including the deatheaters and the Aurors had the same story implanted in their head. There was the matter of the three escaped deatheaters but that was easily dealt with. Tomorrow the newspaper would have a detailed article about the attack, including reports from several of the Aurors, the Minister of magic, and possibly even Dumbledore. Soon, they would let one of the Deatheaters escape and he will report the same story to Voldemort. With all the evidence given to him, the Dark lord would probably come to the most reasonable conclusion and the one they wanted him to believe. That the three Deatheaters had lied to make their failure be viewed in a better light and that Harry and Ginny were not truly such skilled fighters.

This realization would probably end up in the three fools undergoing more torture and possibly even death. Jill spat to the side, it was no less than those bastards deserved. Harry and Ginny were two of the most loved people on Phoenix Isle. They always gave anyone who needed it a helping hand and often went well out of their way to help someone. When Jill had come down with the flu Harry and Ginny had come over and Ginny had cooked her some chicken soup while Harry took care of her duties for the day.

She didn't know how they did it, but those bastard Deatheaters had managed to put Ginny in the hospital and Jill knew that most of Phoenix Isle would not stand for it. The council had been arguing over whether or not mages should enter this war and Jill doubted that with Elder Smith pulling the strings that anything would truly change even after today's events. She did know that Harry and Ginny would no longer remain unprotected at any time of the day. Even though she knew how much Captain Potter would protest but Jill was adamant. He would just have to learn to like it.

* * *

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair, pushing away from the large mahogany desk that stood centerpiece to his office. He wondered how long he had been working. It would have been easy to look at the clock on his computer and check but he didn't want to. It would have been far too depressing. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep at best in the last three days and it didn't look like he would be getting many more. Sandwiches and coffee had been sustenance for the time being and he was looking forward to having some soup…for variety's sake.

He stood from the chair and twisted his back, reveling in the slight popping sounds and the relief of pressure as he did so. He looked down at the papers that littered his desk in scorn. This being his first time back to Phoenix Isle since he had left to Hogwarts four years ago, he was up to his neck in reports. Every notable event had to be written up and unfortunately for Harry the last four years had been extremely eventful.

But a small smile came to his face as he headed for the door, he had just finished with his last report on the attack of the Burrow and after three days of nothing but paperwork he was finally free. If he never had to write another report again it would be far too soon. An aide ran up to Harry as he made his way down the hall towards the lunchroom. Now that he was done with the reports he wanted to celebrate a little.

"Sir," the aide called a few steps behind him. "Sir!"

Harry frowned and turned around; he was really looking forward to getting some food. "Yes?"

"Sir," the aide panted, slightly out of breath. "Mr. Fudge wants to speak with you. He doesn't like the available food."

Harry's frown deepened. He had been dealing with problems like this ever since he brought the fool to Phoenix Isle. The food Cornelius was getting right now was a five course meal to most people. Dumbledore at least, had been content enough to wait and treat this time like a vacation once he had learned of the time difference. Indeed, realizing that he wasn't going to be missing for more than three hours, Dumbledore had spent the time reading in Phoenix Isle's main library and talking with Kyle.

The two men had hit it off the moment they met. Both being scholars first and foremost, they quickly overstepped any boundaries that might have existed between them. Kyle had been ecstatic at learning some of the new ways that wizards were using magic during this century and Dumbledore was just as excited to be learning some of the more ancient forms of the magical arts. Harry was certain that between the two of them they probably knew just about every spell from the last four centuries.

Unfortunately for Harry though, Fudge had not been dealing with the change as well as Dumbledore. When they had first arrived it had taken a good hour to calm the Minister down and convince him that Harry was not out for his job or life. Since then, Cornelius had been trying to make life as hard as possible for the residents of Phoenix Isle in the hopes that they would get tired of him and send him back early. Regardless of how hard the man tried though, Harry was not going to let the Minister go until they had a nice long chat about the current and future state of the wizarding world. However, Harry doubted that he would ever get the chance to talk to the minister before the fool's incessant whining caused one of the mages to obliterate him and be done with it.

Their tenure at Phoenix Isle would only last another two days though so catering to Fudge for a little bit couldn't hurt. Besides, it would put the man on a hopefully more gracious standing for when they had their talk. Harry looked at the aide and spoke, "Go ahead and give Fudge what he wants. It will only be another two days and then he's out of our hair for good."

"Very well than, Sir. I will inform the cooks." The aide gave a slight bow before turning on his heel and rushing back the way he came. Harry watched the man's retreating back for a moment before heading towards the lunchroom once again. He could almost taste that soup.

The lunchroom was a small little place that was a floor below Harry's office. There were a few tables interspaced around the room and a buffet line filled with various foods against the back. Though most mages could just go home, eat, and be back before their lunch break was over, the lunchroom was a convenient eatery for those that didn't have a lot of time or didn't want to go home. Harry pushed open the double doors and walked into the room. He started making a beeline for the food when he heard Dazna's familiar voice call out to him. Looking around, Harry saw Dazna sitting with Cynthia and Kyle in one corner of the room, waving at Harry for him to come and join them.

"Come on and sit, Lad," Dazna called.

Harry gave a pained glance toward the food and than looked back at Dazna. Cynthia seemed to sense his plight and let out a light laugh that reminded Harry of Ginny in so many ways. "Let the poor boy get some food first, Dazna," she said. "With all the paperwork he's been doing or the last few days I doubt he has had much to eat."

Giving his grandmother in law a grateful look, Harry practically ran to the back. A quick whispered spell and the plate was in his hands just before he began shoveling food on it. Minutes later, he was sitting next to his adopted father with his plate resembling something more along the lines that Ron would eat rather than someone with a smaller frame like Harry. With out even pausing, Harry began to eat and drink his soup.

Kyle, Dazna, and Cynthia all looked on with wide eyes as Harry laid waste to the food in front of him. It seemed that he wasn't even pausing to breathe in between bits as all the food disappeared in short order. Draining the last bit of soup from his cup, Harry leaned back in his chair patting his stomach lightly, oblivious to the amazed stares that the others were giving him. A small burp and an embarrassed chuckle escaped Harry's lips. "Oops, excuse me."

"By the Goddess, Lad," Dazna spoke. "When did you eat last?"

Harry had the decency to blush slightly and duck his head. "I was just hungry that's all…" Harry replied in a small voice."

"As we saw," Cynthia said amusedly, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

Harry blushed some more before seeking to divert the attention from himself. "So," he began. "What has been going on with the council these last few days?"

Dazna, Kyle and Cynthia all let out simultaneous sighs. Whatever was going on with the council, Harry was certain that it wasn't going well. "It isn't as bad as you think," Kyle spoke, seemingly reading Harry's mind. "It's just that Elder Davis is becoming a problem…especially since you brought Dumbledore and Fudge to the Island. He never really did like you for some reason and the fact that you brought two non mages to the Isle without the council's consent really rubbed him the wrong way."

Harry nodded in understanding. He knew that Davis took offense to just about everything Harry did in one form or another. The man saw Harry as a threat to his position somehow, as if Harry would want to give up being a war mage and attempt for a spot in the council's civic division. It was preposterous even without knowing that Harry was the Lord Phoenix and could overrule the council should he so choose. If anything he would try to get Dazna or Cynthia's job on the council, the military division.

The system was fairly smart; the council of nine was divided into four divisions: Scholar, Civic, Military, and Medical. It had been designed this way many, many years ago, shortly after the time spell was activated. By keeping the council divided thus it prevented the council from straying too far out of balance and creating the same issues that lead to the destruction of Phoenix tower all those years ago. No one division could gain control of the council and thus rash decisions were avoided and with three Civic positions on the council, the people of Phoenix Isle usually came first.

This was not to say that the system was perfect. Every once in a while a person would hold a position on the council and manage to sway the others to his way of thinking. Through process of speeches and bribes, such a corrupt man could worm his way into control of the council and vote issues yay or nay in any way they saw fit. It was fortunate that people like that had never lasted long.

In Harry's opinion, Elder John Davis was fast becoming such a man. While Kyle held the seat of Head of the Council, most of the decisions that came from the council were Davis'. Cynthia and Dazna would sometimes be able to change a vote or two but more often than not, they were voted down. The man was a little too much like Fudge for Harry's liking. Firmly entrenched in office and doing more to keep himself there than to help the people of Phoenix Isle. While Harry had hopes that Cornelius could change he doubted that Elder Davis would change at all.

"He's been blocking some of the security measures we've been trying to enforce since Voldemort has risen again. He doesn't seem to believe that the monster really has come back." Kyle continued.

"What!" Harry shouted jumping up from his chair. "Does he seriously believe that? What…does he think Cedric just happened to die and I've been lying this whole time? That the recent attacks were just rouge Deatheaters?" Harry was furious, Kyle may have not said it but it was certainly implied that Davis thought Harry was lying just to explain off Cedric's death or gain some more attention. Both options would be composed of Harry having to kill Cedric in the first place.

"Calm down, Lad," Dazna tried to soothe Harry. "Everyone knows he was just being outlandish when he said it. The council doesn't take him _that_ seriously."

Harry sank back into his chair and rubbed his forehead. "They obviously take him seriously enough to vote against extra security." Harry sat up a little straighter. "Why don't we just go ahead and reveal my position as Lord Phoenix and be done with it?" he asked angrily. "We wouldn't have to worry about getting these votes through or Davis trying to block us in the future."

"The timing isn't right yet Harry," Cynthia said, her voice calm and pleasant. "The council isn't yet ready to hear that you are the Lord Phoenix. If it came down to the wire, your only support would be us and possible Jasmine. Things would just get ugly from there and you would be so bogged down in trying to convince everybody that you're right, you would be unable to do exactly what you want and need to do to protect the Isle."

" So much for the undisputable signs of the Lord Phoenix…" Harry gave a huff and sagged down in his chair once more. She was right and he knew it, as much as he hated to admit it, there was just too much politics when dealing with the Lord Phoenix. It was a lot of power to give just one man and people were wary of giving anyone that much control over their governments and worlds. And while Harry didn't like it, he knew that the best way was to keep going on as they were. Cynthia, Dazna, and Kyle trying to erode Davis' support in the council and Harry trying to prevent as much as he could from Hogwarts until he was needed elsewhere.

"So we continue on as is then?' Harry sighed.

Dazna nodded, "We continue on as is. You, Ginny, and Katie will continue on to your next year of Hogwarts and we will do what we can from here. Hopefully you will be able to start an active role soon but we just don't know." Dazna shrugged a little and looked slightly apologetic.

Harry simply gave a wane little smile as if to say, it's alright. Thoughts were roaring around his head in mass confusion. Each idea needed paying attention to but Harry just couldn't find the effort to focus on them or ask the others about them. But amid the plethoric amount of thoughts, Harry heard one growing from deep within him and becoming stronger by the second. He focused on the feeling and suddenly shot straight up out of his chair.

Alarmed, Dazna and Cynthia shot up too, in a protective position around Harry. "What is it, lad?" Dazna asked urgently his eyes scanning the room to see if some one was in a position to hurt Harry. He didn't see anything though and that just worried him some more. "What happened, Harry?" he tried again.

Harry, eyes wide just stared foreword and spoke in a soft tone, "Ginny's awake." With that said, the as of yet to be named Lord Phoenix turned on his heel and rushed out of the lunchroom, the three Elders right behind him.

* * *

Harry rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. It sat near the middle of the island, near the council hall and some of the more important buildings and armories. When the new city had been designed after the old one had been destroyed, it had been built with the thought of defense against attack. The most crucial buildings and facilities resided in the middle of the city with stout, sturdy walls built around it. All along the wall were defensible parapets and every so often, a small tower stood to give the defenders an elevated place of attack. A well laid attack or superior army would still be able to breach the walls but it would be certain that the mages would deal a large amount of damage against their adversary.

Of course, this also meant that Harry had quite a trip to make it to the hospital. From his office to the hospital was a trip of a fifteen minute walk or a six minute run. Harry made it in three. Almost knocking several people over in the process, he barged into the front waiting lobby of the hospital, looking around almost frantically for a nurse. He didn't have to look very long as the medic that had originally checked on Ginny at the Burrow was making his way out of a set of double doors to Harry's left. The man was reading a medical chart but looked up when Harry called his name.

"Ah," the man replied, closing the folder in his hand and giving Harry a small grin. "I see that you have noticed that Ginny is awake. I've always heard about such things being able to happen between soulmates but I have never witnessed such a thing. I wonder if –"

But Harry was in no mood to be listening to the man's babbling and quickly interrupted. "Can I see my wife now?" he asked impatiently, tapping his foot as if the hint in his tone of voice wasn't enough.

"Yes, yes, of course," the doctor replied, but before Harry could brush by him and go to his wife's room, the man spoke up once more. "There is, however, something that you should know before going back there."

Now Harry was worried. "Why…what's wrong is she okay?" His heart beat heavily in his chest and Harry could feel the bile rising up on his throat. He would never forgive himself if Ginny wouldn't make it. When he had first tried to see her, the doctors were adamant that nothing contaminate the care unit and that he was not allowed to see her. Harry had been angry but understood that with an unknown spell being a causing factor, the doctors could not risk any more possible unknowns. For all they knew, it could be some latent spell that only went off when the victim drank a glass of water or held somebody's hand.

So Harry had resigned himself to waiting and kept himself busy with the paperwork until he would be able to see Ginny. And now, here he was, standing in the waiting room with baited breath. He desperately wanted to see his loving wife but it seemed like something else was wrong. By the Goddess he hoped not!

"We have identified the spell that your wife was hit with. It is an old spell that has not been used for many, many years. Well beyond the time of the Great War. The spell is known as the _Infecuditas_ Spell, used as a…kinder form of population control. By kinder I mean preferable over outright killing people, instead, just preventing more people being added to the mix." The doctor gave Harry a sad look, "I am sorry to tell you this, Captain. It really is lucky that we found out what the spell was. It's only passed through the old wizarding families, who have continuous and ancient bloodlines. We found it when…"

The doctor continued on but Harry wasn't paying attention. _Population control? _He wondered. _What did he mean by that?_ Harry tried to remember what the word meant but it wasn't a common word in the Latin language and he hadn't practiced the ancient language for a while now. _Infecuditas…Infecuditas…population control…instead of outright killing…?_ Harry's eyes grew wide, his hands started to shake and he took several deep breaths. He tried to get the doctor's attention but all he could manage was a small sort of croak.

It had the desired effect though and the doctor stopped talking and gave Harry his full attention, "Yes, Sir?"

Harry tried again to speak and was more successful this time, "D-Do you m-mean to tel –" Harry swallowed trying to ease his troubled throat and began again. "Do you mean to tell me," Harry said his voice much stronger than before. "That Ginny…t-that my wife was hit with a sterility spell? That she will not be able to bare children anymore?" Harry's eyes almost pleaded with the doctor, begging the man to tell him that it wasn't so. Tell him that the spell had had no adverse effects on Ginny and that she would soon be released and nothing would be different.

The look he got back from the doctor was not one that he wanted to see. The man had a look of reluctance in his eyes. A look of sorrow at having to tell Harry that it was exactly as he feared and that he and his soulmate would never be able to produce an offspring. A child that they would love and call there own, that they would provide for and shelter. A child that would be their own flesh and blood…a child that they both longed to have one day.

"I am sorry, Sir," the man placed a hand one Harry's shoulder. "But it is true. Ginny is now barren and will not be able to have a child." The doctor looked down at the shorter Harry and said with much regret, "There is nothing that we are able to do. The spell is complete and final…there is no counter curse."

Harry was devastated. He had hoped to have a family one day, after his fight with Voldemort was over. He had hoped that he would be able to live with Ginny and his son or daughter in their house on Phoenix Isle and let Dazna have the joy of a grandchild. He wanted to teach his kid how to fly and all the secret passageways in Hogwarts, so they could sneak around and do childish things like pulling pranks. But now he was being denied that opportunity, being denied that joy that only a child can bring. So numb were his thoughts and actions he almost failed to notice Dazna, Cynthia, and Kyle rushing into the hospital lobby, slightly out of breath.

Numbness still controlling his actions, Harry turned to the others and said, "I'm going to go see Ginny now." He looked at the doctor. "Does Ginny know yet?"

The doctor shook his head, "She has just woken up and we thought it would be better coming from you…"

"Thank you," Harry nodded. "C – could you please tell them?" he asked, gesturing towards the three Elders that stood behind him. "I will go talk to G-Ginny."

"Of course, Sir," the doctor replied, sympathy in his eyes. "I really am sorry, Commander."

Harry nodded again, before turning to the doors that lead towards the patient's rooms. Shuffling slowly he made his way towards Ginny's room, his mind awhirl with thoughts about how he was going to break the news to his beloved wife.

* * *

Harry sighed, and held back a groan. He was strong and fast. He could do magic with a mere thought and was more powerful than almost any mage on this island. More powerful than most wizards and sorcerers as well. He was loyal and brave, honorable and cunning. And, thankfully for Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, he was a very patient man. Not that the minister wasn't testing Harry's limits. He had thought that dealing with Lockhart had been hard and dealing with Elder Davis had been harder. Neither of them held a candle to Cornelius Fudge.

"For the last time, Minister," Harry spoke. "If you sit down and _listen_…you will understand everything I need you to know." Harry doubted that the man really would listen to reason but he had to try anyway. He was exceedingly surprised when Fudge did just that. There was a chuckle to his left and Harry checked his gob smacked expression and turned to scowl at his Professor. "I assume you find this amusing, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with mirth as he replied with a straight face that any profession poker player would kill for. "Why of course not, young Harry." Dumbledore folded his hands in his lap and looked over his spectacles and into Harry's bright green eyes. "I do, however, find myself in agreement with Cornelius in that I am wondering what has been going on here. We have been patiently," Fudge snorted disdainfully but Albus ignored it and continued on. "…patiently waiting for four days now and are hoping that you can explain all this."

"That's exactly right, Potter," the minister interjected. "I demand to know why you have kidnapped me and have held me hostage here for the last half week."

"Well when you put it that way, Minister, I guess that I have no choice but to answer your questions." Harry brought a hand up to his chin and gave it a few scratches. "There is quite a bit to tell you two and I don't quite know where to begin." He mumbled.

Dumbledore spoke up, "I find that the –"

"'–beginning is always a good place to start,' yes I know." Harry said waving his hand. "Very well then, the beginning it is…"

* * *

Dumbledore studied Harry intently while the young boy began his story. He had been concerned at first when he had been first taken to this island and unable to return to the Burrow immediately after. And truthfully, he admitted to himself if no one else, he was quite frightened at finding himself disarmed and captured so easily by the people that were pretending to be in league with the fake Harry.

The changes, Dumbledore had seen in the young boy were much too great to have all occurred over the month long stay at Private Drive. Despite all the fame and publicity surrounding the young boy or perhaps because of it, Harry always tried to stay out of the spotlight. Allowing others to control and direct the situation while becoming as small of a target as possible so as to not attract unwanted attention. It showed in everything the boy did, from his soft voice to his hunched shoulders. Yet when Dumbledore had arrived at the Burrow, 'Harry' was firmly in control. Directing other people around with firm, commanding orders in a strong voice and a stature to match. Harry didn't look like Harry anymore. More like a Commander or some other military figure directing his troops.

It hadn't been until Harry let Dumbledore scan a bit of his magic to prove that he was the real deal. Magical signatures were a lot like fingerprints. Each one having its own, unique texture, taste, and smell. They couldn't be changed or duplicated in any way. And as much as it confused Dumbledore, it was the real Harry Potter. After a brief explanation of the time spell that surrounded the Island and…'insisting' that the two wizarding leaders remain as his guests, Harry had turned and left for business unknown. Since then, Dumbledore had been able to gain more information from the various people he had come in contact with over the last few days. It was a strange picture that he was beginning to piece together indeed.

"The best thing to start with, I guess…" Dumbledore was brought out of his musings by Harry's soft voice. There had been several physical changes to Harry as well since Dumbledore had last seen him. He was still shorter than most people and it didn't look like he would get any taller, but he was extremely proportionate for his five foot six inch frame. His limbs were not incredibly lanky like young Mr. Weasley, nor pudgy like Mr. Longbottom. If anything he was fairly well built with clearly defined, whipcord like muscles covering his body. Much like and athlete or a martial artist. No extra fat and a body built for a combination of speed and strength instead of one over the other. "…well, I am a mage."

_So that explains it!_ Dumbledore let a smile out on his face, at both the revelation and the look of bewilderment that appeared on Cornelius' face. This explained many things about what was going on and answered many of his questions. It was a look of both relief and regret that managed to settle on his face in the end though. He had always hoped that Harry could have had a normal childhood and eventually…a normal life, but he knew that the life of a mage was anything but. Yet he was relived that Harry was able to protect himself and others around him from many dangers. It was probably the reason that he was able to survive his first four years with relatively little injury. The troll alone should have taken out the three friends quite easily.

"If you don't mind my asking Mr. Potter," Dumbledore spoke. "How old are you?"

Harry gave his headmaster a smile, "I see that you catch on quick. I have just recently turned twenty-two years old." Beside him, Fudge sputtered, apparently unable to form words for his disbelief.

"I see, and Mrs. Potter?" Dumbledore risked a small gamble.

Harry gave his hand a quick glance as if checking to see if something was there before his smile widened even more. "You don't miss a thing do you? I had thought that we were keeping it fairly quiet. But I can see we managed to slip up somewhere…what happened to tip you off?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "Actually it wasn't until you told me you were a mage that I put everything together. You and Ginny hid it very well. In the last four years I have only thought you to might have a minor interest in each other. Ms. We…Mrs. Potter's crush on you and your apparent lack of reciprocation towards those feelings threw me off entirely. Whose idea was that by the way?"

"It was Ginny's," Harry said proudly. "She didn't think that she would be able to be around me and not show any feelings and came up with the crush idea. She really is very smart."

Dumbledore could see the pride and love shining through Harry's eyes and only then just began to realize how much Harry and Ginny were keeping hidden. Not just from him but from family and friends, teachers and acquaintances. Everyone they knew had an impression about who Harry and Ginny were, but they were all wrong. Albus knew from experience how hard it was keeping so much knowledge a secret without at least some of it leaking through and was impressed at the tight lid these two had managed to keep on their information.

He was getting worried though, about the thoughtful pose that Cornelius had adopted beside him. It was a pose he had not seen on the Minister for many years, not since he was first elected into office. Albus wondered if the man was going to do something that he would later regret for it would not do to have Harry and the mages as an enemy. But there was a flash of something in the man's eyes that gave the headmaster pause…and hope.

"Is Ginny doing any better?" Dumbledore knew that Ginny had gotten hurt during the altercation at the Burrow and hoped that everything was alright. In all reality, she was Harry's only living family. It seemed that all was not well however, as the little emotion Harry had been showing was quickly cut of and an emotionless mask was slid into place. Dumbledore marveled at such complete control over one's emotions. It was a difficult thing to do.

"Pettigrew hit her with the _Infecuditas _Spell." Harry's voice was hard and cold.

Fudge seemed to have finally regained his former composure while Harry and Dumbledore had chatted and was done with being out of the conversation. "What the hell is the _Infecuditas_ Spell? I've never heard of it!" Cornelius burst out, hands flying wide. "And who the hell is this…Mrs. Potter?"

Harry looked ready to hurt the Minister so Albus quickly interjected. "Mrs. Potter," he said softly. "Is Molly and Arthur Weasley's only daughter. And I am not quite surprised that you haven't heard of the _Infecuditas _Spell as it is an ancient spell only passed down through the older pureblood families." Dumbledore continued on over Cornelius protests of his family being a pureblooded family. "I mean the _oldest_ pureblood families. It was used as a form of population control among their slaves by making the females barren. That way they could control the birth rate and not end up having more mouths than they could feed. Its use ended up dying out several thousand years ago though."

Cornelius' mouth snapped shut and a look of horror passed over his face before being covered by one of determination. To Dumbledore, it looked like the man had just come to some sort of decision but about what, the ancient man couldn't gather. Dumbledore turned to Harry, "I am sorry to hear this Harry, as far as I know, there is no counter spell. Is Ginny taking the news alright?"

Harry sighed, "As well as could be expected. It hit both of us hard, we wanted to have a child after Hogwarts but now that seems impossible."

"I would still like to offer my condolences, and the use of the entire Hogwarts Library for any search that will allow you to counteract this curse. No married couple should be denied the opportunity to have kids." Dumbledore's eyes were soft and caring as he said this. Harry nodded his thanks and the aged wizard was about to continue on with the conversation when, to his left, came the last thing that he had expected to hear.

"I offer the resources of the ministry archives as well."

Dumbledore and Harry turned to look at Cornelius with wide open eyes. "What?" the Minister said defensively. "I'm not heartless and I can see that this has hurt you greatly, Mr. Potter. If there is something I can do…please…name it."

Harry stared at the minister some more before asking slowly, as if to a mentally unbalanced man, "What brought around this…change?"

Fudge straightened in his chair a bit, fumbling with his bowler hat, he seemed to be a bit nervous and Dumbledore didn't blame him. Harry had one of the most piercing gazes he had ever seen, it was all he could do not to fidget under the boy's stare. Of course there was also the fact that Fudge had not really been…polite towards Harry during their last few encounters and was about to explain his attitude. Dumbledore figured that would make just about any man nervous as well.

"I-I guess…it was your telling me off at the Burrow, really," Fudge stumbled over his words, hesitant to say the wrong thing. "It kind of…shocked me and I guess…I guess I began to think of you as less of a kid then…and I began to look at what could your motives possibly be." Cornelius drew in a deep breath and continued on. "I have always been fond of my position as Minister, but I once liked it because I could help people and lately I have liked it because people would help me. I began to fear that everybody wanted my position…that I could trust no one. You and Dumbledore had me afraid the most." He said, nodding towards the aged wizard and the younger mage.

"You both had the people looking up to you no matter what you did and I was afraid of that. Afraid that you would oust me from my position so easily because of whom you were." Fudge's face sat, and Albus could only wonder at the change in this man.

_No, _ he thought. _Not change but…reemergence. _The more Cornelius spoke the more Dumbledore was convinced that Fudge was returning to the man he had once been. A shining star in the bleak aftermath of the Dark War and a man who put the people first, going so far as to create a restoration fund with his own money to help rebuild the state of the wizarding world. Fudge was quite brilliant at politics and a very good speech giver. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it. It looked like that man was coming once again. Dumbledore could even place the look of determination that was creeping up on Cornelius' face. The man had worn it as he was campaigning other countries for help with the restoration.

"But apparently you are a mage and have nothing to do with wizarding government and Albus has always been Headmaster first and last. I don't know why I have let this irrational fear rule my actions and I know that I have done wrong by you but it is time that I start making up for that. Over this summer I have had too many reports of attacks for them to have been done by rouge deatheaters alone and I have become convinced that you are right and that You-Know-Who has returned." Fudge paused and seemed to consider what to say next but Harry beat him to it.

"They say…" Harry drawled. "That you were a great politician and a great minister. Eloquent with words and fast in helping the people." Harry stopped and looked the minister in the eye. "Somewhere along the line that man was beat and locked in a cupboard somewhere. Somewhere along the line…that man disappeared." Fudge drew in a deep breath as if drawing in the courage to face whatever Harry had to say, whether good or ill.

Harry simply continued to stare the Minister in the eyes. "I am pleased to see that man is coming back." Fudge let out his breath in an explosive puff and Dumbledore did the same, surprised at the action for he had never realized he had been holding his breath in the first place. "I think that you will be able to restore the Ministry to the uncorrupt power it once stood for and I think that you will do it splendidly. There are however a few things that you must do and soon."

Cornelius leaned in eagerly and Albus found himself doing the same. "What needs to be done, Harry" Dumbledore asked, his eyes bright.

"Ginny and I have concerns of there readiness of the wizarding world for another confrontation. During the World Cup last summer, those deatheaters were allowed to continue on for far too long even after Ginny and I dealt with a quarter of them." Dumbledore raised an eye at that; he had always wondered who had taken out those deatheaters that they found bound and gagged after the turmoil. "I know that it is far too late to redo the training policies for the Aurors," Harry continued on, "but a few policy changes could do some good."

"A rotating watch, more stringent security at events, etcetera…" Fudge interrupted. "I understand, what else?"

Harry nodded in approval, "It is rather difficult in the wizarding world, I know…" Harry ventured. "Here, the entire Island is warded but is it possible provide at least basic warding for most families?"

Fudge seemed to think for a moment, "It is rather difficult to put up wards. It is usually done by special security companies but I do have a few warding teams in Ministry employ and several other workers that have the power and knowledge to do so. I think we could do it." He nodded in affirmative.

"I think," Dumbledore spoke up. "That we will want to place special emphasis on the muggleborn and halfblooded families as well. Voldemort has long since declared his hatred towards them."

Cornelius winced, "I don't think I have enough workers to cover everybody. I'll have to outsource the job to some security companies."

"Which brings us to the next point," Harry picked up. "You need to get rid of the corrupt money flowing into the ministry income. Do not allow yourself to become dependent on Lucius' funds. You will find them disappearing right when you need them most. Abrupt changes are almost impossible in the Wizarding world. You need to slowly gear the government towards a wartime setting. Voldemort has been waiting for many years to take control of the wizarding world and now that he is back in his body he won't want to wait much longer."

"I agree with Harry," Albus spoke again. "Voldemort will not wait much longer before making his first move."

Cornelius nodded, thinking deeply about the steps he would have to take to prepare for war. The Minister abruptly stood up and looked towards Dumbledore. "If you two gentleman would excuse me I would like to get back to my rooms and start writing up some rough drafts for these new changes."

"Of course, Cornelius," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I hope that you can pull this off. Best of luck to you."

"We will be leaving in six hours back to the wizarding world," Harry spoke up. "A war mage will come get you and escort you to the Burrow with me. Please be ready to go." Fudge gave Harry a nod before turning and leaving the room, a bright hop in his step.

Dumbledore watched the man leave before turning just in time to see Harry slump further into his seat. He was really amazed by what the boy had just done and he hoped that Harry understood that. "It was a good thing you just did there Harry," he said softly. "You gave a man a second chance to prove himself. There are not very many who are willing to do that or take that risk."

Harry waved his hand dismissively, "I wasn't that much. He is the only man for the job really."

"There are others."

"Who…Mr. Weasley?" Harry scoffed. "He is a good man but he is too entranced by his toys and knows nothing of politics. Madame Bones? She is too much the stickler for following the law and rules. In politics you sometimes have to the bend or break the rules to get things done. No…Cornelius is the only man that will be able to get things done the way they need to be. I was just worried that he wouldn't let go of his paranoia that everyone wants his job."

Dumbledore didn't even ask how Harry knew about the other candidates for Minister but did ask about another aspect though. He was curious. "And what would you have done had Cornelius not regained some semblance of whom he once was?"

Harry's face turned hard, "I would have ousted him from office and replaced him in a second."

Albus could not contain himself, "With whom?"

Harry's face seemed to harden even more, "Myself."

The seriousness in his voice surprised Dumbledore and he knew that he had to ask his next question. "Do you think that the wizarding world would follow the leadership of a boy? Even if said boy was the Boy-Who-Lived?"

A frown made its way across Harry's face and the youth said with such certainty that Albus believed him. "They wouldn't have a choice."

* * *

Ron grunted sourly as he hauled his trunk bodily onto the Hogwarts Express. Despite the growing he did every year he found that loading the bloody thing onto the compartment racks had yet to get any easier. He thought that at least some of the growth he made was in muscle but from the amount of struggling it took him to move the trunk he doubted it. Of course there was the fact that there was more and more stuff to add to his trunk each year but Ron choose to ignore that and just blamed the trunk itself.

Just ahead of him, already loading his trunk onto the rack in the compartment they normally stayed in, was Harry. His best mate hadn't seemed to grow like Ron himself did. Over the last four years, Ron's best friend seemed to grow very little and Ron now stood over Harry by a good ten centimeters easy. Ron didn't think Harry would get much taller and he knew that, by the time he himself was done growing, the pair would look rather odd as friends. Something akin to a giant and a midget standing next to each other.

Ron snickered at the mental picture, garnering the attention of his friend. "What's so amusing?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ron snickered some more and shook his head. "Nothing…come on, lets go get the girls' trunks." The two friends made their way back to the train platform and over to where the girls were waiting. The youngest Weasley boy took a moment to examine his other best friend. Hermione, like he, had grown several inches in height over the summer. Her bushy brown hair seemed to be calming down as she got older for Ron noticed that it got less and less frizzy each year. She had cut it shorter than before and it fell down to just below her shoulders instead of the small of her back like it had during the years before.

Her skin was tanned, most likely from the traveling she had done with her parents during the summer. He had received several of her letters talking about the good times she was having in Greece or Italy or some other Mediterranean country. Unknown to anyone, Ron had kept these letters, bound in some twine, at the bottom of his trunk and pulled them out and read them every so often. He didn't know why, but after reading Hermione's letters he always felt better for some reason.

Harry walked up to Hermione's trunk and turned to Ron. Ron was surprised to see that Hermione now stood several inches taller than Harry as well. "I'll get Hermione's trunk, Ron. You take care of Ginny's."

Ron was about to protest that it would take at least two of them to carry Hermione's book laden trunk but his dissent died before it had even been voiced. He knew from experience that it took every ounce of muscle he had to even lift her trunk even an inch off the ground. Its weight gave even a grown man trouble judging by the way Mr. Granger struggled to get it out of the boot every year. But Harry lifted the monstrosity like he didn't even feel the weight. Ron gaped, there was no way that five foot six, skinny Harry Potter would be able to lift a trunk that weighed at least 75 kilos but here he was watching his best friend do just that.

"Wha– But– How…?" Ron couldn't understand it and as he tried to puzzle through it his thoughts were interrupted by Ginny.

"Come on, Ron…the train isn't going to wait all day. Grab my trunk." Ginny spoke up irritably.

Ron couldn't answer though, still struck dumb by watching Harry easily maneuver Hermione's heavy trunk up the stairs onto the train. To his side, Hermione was gaping as well.

Ginny was not amused however. "Fine then!" Ginny snapped. "I'll do it myself!"

Once again Ron was about to tell her that she wouldn't be able to lift it on her own when history seemed to repeat itself. While not as heavy as Hermione's, Ginny's trunk was still heavier than normal, having been stuffed with all the various shoes and accessories that women needed. His baby sister picked it up just as casually and easily as Harry had done only moments before and began to make her way to their compartment.

Ron looked at the spot that had held Hermione's trunk. Then he looked where Ginny's trunk had been. Then he looked at the train. Trunks…… train…… trunks…… train……. He couldn't understand how his sister and best friend managed but it certainly made him suspicious. Had it not been for the whistle signaling the train leaving Ron would have sat there for hours trying to puzzle his way through what had happened. As it was, he grabbed Hermione and the two hurriedly jumped on the train and walked towards the back where their compartment was.

"Finally," Ginny exclaimed as Ron slid open the door and entered the compartment. "We thought you two were going to miss the train." That said she promptly turned back to the book she had been reading. Ron said nothing and took a seat across from Harry, Hermione sitting done next to him.

Maybe it had been the incident on the platform that had him so wary or at least something like it, but Ron suddenly found himself studying his best friend and his baby sister with more intensity and attention than he ever had. Ginny sat across from Hermione and next to Harry and, now that Ron was paying attention, he noticed that the two were sitting much closer than was normal. Their legs were almost touching and every now and then the train would jostle and their bodies brushed against one another. Sometimes lingering for far longer than natural movement would allow for.

For once, Ron squelched his overprotective urges and continued to study the pair. Harry too, had his head in a book. A book Ron knew for a fact that did not involve Quidditch at all. He had seen Harry pulling it out of his trunk the night before, and looking at the cover now he could swear that the title was written in some sort of Chinese or Japanese…one of those eastern languages. Of course that didn't say much, Dean often 'read' those Japanese comics and they weren't in English….but the book Harry was reading didn't look like any of that flimsy, 'manga,' that Dean read.

Ron continued to study his friend and once again noticed Harry's eyes. No matter what the expression, Harry's eyes always held something behind them, a feeling, a look that Ron had tried many times to describe. They looked like Harry was too knowledgeable…too aware…too…too…old. He had the eyes of an adult that has seen much in the world, many of it bad. They were not the eyes that someone would expect to see on a thirty year old let alone a young teenager like Harry.

It was in Ginny's eyes too, he noticed now. The same age and wisdom that Harry had in his emerald green eyes could be seen in Ginny's brown ones. In fact, glancing back and forth between the two, Ron could notice a lot of similarity between the two. The large books they were reading, the expressions on their faces….even the position that they were sitting in with their feet on the seat knees bent and book resting on their legs was the same. To any casual observer the two would appear to be a nice young couple.

A…couple. Ron rolled that thought around his head for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, it wasn't that hard to imagine his sister and Harry becoming involved with one another like that. After all Ginny had liked Harry from day one and Harry had gone down into the chamber of secrets to save her. They had always been friends too, not as close as the trio was but friends all the same. It had become even more apparent over the course of the summer.

The attack on the Burrow didn't seem to faze Harry much despite his portkeying in at the crux of the battle and ending up in Saint Mungos courtesy of a stray curse. When he had awoken and Ron had told him about the fight he had barely even batted an eye. Even though it was a little strange, Ron had chalked it up to the desensitizing Harry had already gone through due to the various conflicts he had personally participated in. When one faces down a giant Basilisk armed with nothing but a sword and wins it seems like a battle between humans would be dreary and lackluster.

Later though, when Harry had returned to the Burrow, the oddest thing happened. One of Ron's cousins was going to have a baby and his mother had gone shopping for some baby clothes to send as a gift. She was folding a few outfits and putting them into boxes when Harry and Ginny had walked in. His Mum had smiled at Ginny and asked if she would help her wrap the boxes because they all knew that the Weasley men were incompetent when it came to anything domestic. The youngest Weasley had walked over to the table and picked a small baby blue jumper, holding it up so that she could see the small sailboats printed on the fabric when she had suddenly burst out crying.

Ron was stunned, he had seen his sister cry before and always tried to help her but the sobs that wracked Ginny were worse than he had ever seen or heard. Her legs gave out and she would have fell to the ground had Harry not rushed in and caught her. So quick was the motion that even later Ron was not able to his friends movement across the room. The black-haired youth wrapped up the girl in a tight embrace and started rocking her back and forth, much like a mother or father would do for their child... or perhaps a husband for a wife. Ron just watched, unable to comprehend how this situation had come to be and the reasons for Ginny's obvious pain. He had turned to his mother to see if she knew anything but the look on her face was just as stunned as his own was. And Ginny continued to cry into Harry's shoulder, soaking his shirt with her tears.

It happened several more times over the next two weeks. Ginny breaking down at the strangest times and Harry just holding her and comforting her. Ron would sometimes hear words coming out in between her choked sobs. Words like…'baby' or 'why us?' He didn't understand what was going on but Harry seemed to be the only one that could console her and their relationship became closer. Ron could do nothing but watch in frustration, feeling hopeless that there was nothing that he could do to help his younger sibling.

Ron jolted at the feel of someone nudging his shoulder and looked up to see Hermione looking at him. He smiled and shook his head ruefully, "Sorry, Hermione," he said. "I was kinda lost in thought there for a moment, did you say something?"

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh, "I said we have to go to the prefect's car for a meeting. If we don't hurry we'll be late!"

Ron gave a silent chuckle at Hermione's unwillingness to be late to anything and stood up stretching. "Alright then." He looked to Harry and Ginny, "Well be back in a bit. Don' know how long these things last but if the trolley comes by, get me some frogs will ya?"

"No problem, Ron," Harry said without looking up from his book.

"Thanks, mate," Ron turned to Hermione and followed her out of the compartment.

They made their way towards the front of the train in silence until Hermione cast a sideways glance at Ron and said, "I've noticed you have been studying Harry and Ginny for most of the trip."

Ron shrugged, "I was just trying to figure out what's goin' on is all. Harry lifted your trunk like it was nothin' and Ginny did the same…." He paused in the hallway. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to know too," Hermione said stopping and turning to face him. "This isn't the first time that these two have done something that weird and while I've been discounting it before, I've seen it happening more and more often over the last year."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know that your sister can speak Japanese? Or that the two of them can dance like a pair of professionals? Or that Harry has a mind that can grasp and understand complex philosophies and ideals?" Hermione continued to rattle of several examples of what Harry and Ginny could do. Ron was shocked that Hermione had observed this much from the pair. He had only just begun to notice something strange.

"H–How do you know all this…I–I mean when? When did any of this happen?"

Hermione sighed, "I've been seeing some of this since last Halloween but the bigger slips have only happened recently."

Ron had always been a person more towards taking instant action over planned, "Then I'm goin' to go confront them. I want to know what is going on…we're best friends for cryin' out loud!" He turned and began to march back down the hallway.

"Ron no!" Hermione hissed latching onto his arm and trying to drag him back. "You can't just go in there and start demanding answers. You'll get nothing but denial from them."

"What should we do then Hermione!" Ron exploded, throwing his ands up in the air and inadvertently breaking the grip she had on his forearm. "Something is goin' on and I want to know what! They're obviously not goin' to come tell us on their own. They've proven that already!"

"But they way you want to do it won't get us anywhere either. I want to know just as much as you do alright," Hermione placed her hands on her hips and gave Ron a small glare. "We need to take it slow, watch them some more. When they make a big mistake, we'll confront them with all the evidence we have and they'll have no choice but to tell us."

"My sister is a stubborn person, Hermione," Ron growled.

"So am I," said Hermione. "One way or another we will find out what is going on…even if I have to use Vertirserum to find out what it is." Hermione concluded with a narrowing with her eyes.

Ron huffed and crossed his arms, looking down the corridor to the closed door that his sister and best friend sat behind. "Fine," he said finally, "We do it your way. But it had better work or I am going to take matters into my own hands."

"Fair enough, Ron" Hermione whispered, "Fair enough."

* * *

Harry's soft voice filled the compartment, "They're getting suspicious…"

Ginny nodded, "It will make things easier in the long run. This way, they won't be too surprised by the truth. We've been lying to them enough."

Silence made its way into the compartment once more and it was several moments before Harry broke it, "_A truth is only a truth, if it is what you want to hear._"

Ginny turned another page.

* * *

**Warden's Rants: **Well...now that Christmas break is over and done with I am back to my writing. This chapter should have been out...about a week ago but with various power outages and problems with the FanfictionNet servers it's out late. I already know that this is going to be one of my most controverseal chapters. Just keep an open mind to the story. Anyways, I'm totally wiped and need some sleep so I'll just leave it at that. Best Regards, Warden

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